Cheerfulness Is Contagious!

Have we ever noticed how folks who are cheerful and have a cheerful countenance, usually influence the people they come in contact with to be cheerful as well? Folks who are able to accept things as they are and are always able to see their blessings in the darkest hours, are people of good cheer.

If you think about it, what else can we do in the face of things that cannot be altered? If we count our great blessings from our Heavenly Father, we will realize that they will always outweigh the tragedies and disappointments of life (James 1:17).

A positive, cheerful outlook on life is critical to being a true disciple (cf. Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12). There is entirely too much defeatism in the world without Christians contributing to it. Realize that we are children of the King (Gal. 3:26), and as such, are to be conquerors (Romans 8:37).

Let’s think positive — we can do it! Let’s talk positive around our brethren — it can be done (Philippians 4:13). Let’s act positive by picking ourselves up when we fall, and trying again. Let us never resign ourselves to failure. Our blessed King has “overcome the world” (John 16:33), and we can as well (1 John 5:4).

The apostle Paul tells us to, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). But we are not able to rejoice, if we do not see the reasons for rejoicing. And, if we do not see those reasons, we will not have the right kind of fellowship with God.

Because we are blessed so abundantly in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3), let’s be of good cheer, and when we see our brethren discouraged and troubled, let’s "lift up their hands and strengthen the weakened knees" (Hebrews 12:12 KJV).

Dear reader, let us remember that cheerfulness is contagious!

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets