Norman Vincent Peale, an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, was one of the most recognizable religious figures in 20^th-century America. Peale, who died in 1993, achieved both renown and controversy with the publication of his 1952 book “The Power of Positive Thinking,” which has sold more than 5 million copies.

Among the maxims that Peale promulgated are “Change your thoughts and you change your world” and “What the mind can conceive and believe, and the heart desire, you can achieve.”

Some called Peale a charlatan. “This new cult is dangerous,” warned Reinhold Niebuhr. “Anything which corrupts the gospel hurts Christianity. And it hurts people too. It helps them to feel good while they are evading the real issues of life.” Others praised him. Billy Graham is reported to have said of Peale and his wife, “I don’t know of anyone who had done more for the kingdom of God than Norman and Ruth Peale or have meant any more in my life for the encouragement they have given me.”

Whatever one’s opinion of the man and his work, the fact remains that Peale tapped into a cultural ideal of many Americans: can-do optimism. And while positive thinking isn’t ordinarily associated with the traditional Christian virtues—prudence, justice, temperance, courage, faith, hope, and love—a positive attitude can and should be a part of every Christian’s life, whatever is going on in our lives or in the world.

Let me confess that, as a writer, I possess a writer’s temperament. That means negativity comes naturally. For me, the glass is usually half-empty, especially when I’m in the midst of a trial. Self-doubts nearly always lurk in the corners of my mind. Depression is a familiar visitor. In a world full of sin, brokenness, excruciating pain, and disappointment, I tend to call this approach realism.

Except it isn’t realistic, at least for Christians. Those of us who have been redeemed and forgiven thanks to the blood of Christ need to embrace a worldview of Christian realism, which will lead inevitably to positive Christian thinking. Here are six reasons why you should adopt a positive Christian attitude, too.

1. God is in control. No matter what happens, this is our Father’s world. God is sovereignly orchestrating all events, kings, and kingdoms until His kingdom prevails. As Darius said, “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end.” Do we really believe this?
2. God allows all things—even those that are ugly or unpleasant—into our lives for our good. As the great verse from Romans says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” If we truly believe this, then our outlook on suffering must ultimately be positive, even though the pain is real. While we should never minimize or deny our suffering or that of others, we mustn’t allow it to get the last word. Trials cannot override the omnipotent, omniscient love of God, who is determined to bless us. As Paul said, “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” Brother Lawrence, who wrote “The Practice of the Presence of God,” said, “I do not know what God wishes to do with me; I am always very happy.”
3. Even if the worst happens to us (and sometimes it does), the eternal life that Christ provides more than compensates. Heartache, depression, bereavement, and grief are sometimes our lot. Paul suffered many things for the gospel, including stoning, shipwreck, and betrayal. Yet the great apostle could say, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
4. A positive Christian attitude, rather than a sour “realism,” is attractive. Titus 2:10 talks about the need to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” While this verse has in mind a renunciation of the sins of the past, can anyone argue with the fact that a smile is more appealing to unbelievers than a frown? We Christians say, rightly, that our Lord is the source of all true life, love, and joy. Perhaps our neighbors would be more interested in our faith if we acted as if we really believed it. And doesn’t the God who saved us at such a great cost deserve to see us happy about it?
5. We can choose to be positive Christian thinkers. Peale was right when he said, “When you get up in the morning, you have two choices–either to be happy or to be unhappy. Just choose to be happy.” While this is simplistic advice to be sure, there is a ring of truth in it. You’re going to live one way or another during your allotted years on this earth. Why not be happy during them? A wealth of research says our living for a cause greater than ourselves generally increases happiness. Dennis Prager, a Jewish radio talk show host, says that our moods are usually chosen, adding that happiness is a moral obligation. I might add, it’s a Christian obligation, too. Do we not have so much to be thankful for as Christians, whatever our personal circumstances? Try listing a few of those things. You’ll probably run out of paper before you run out of reasons. As Christian counselors Frank Minirth and Paul Meier say, “Happiness is a choice.”
6. Positive Christian thinking often leads to positive results. While I believe Peale was far too mechanistic in his approach, the fact remains that optimistic risk-takers generally succeed more often than pessimistic “realists.” William Carey, who went to India as the father of modern missions, was a positive Christian thinker. Carey’s watchword was “Expect great things [from God]. Attempt great things [for God].” In fact, positive Christian thinking is a matter of love, for “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Conversely, if you start a task expecting to fail, you probably will. So, win or lose, be positive. God is with you.

While positive Christian thinking doesn’t come naturally to me, it is a habit I am seeking to build into my life, and I believe it isn’t ultimately up to me, anyway. “Any happiness we think we’ve produced for ourselves will soon fade,” says Mike Mason in his modern classic, “Champagne for the Soul.” “The real thing comes from Beyond. Indeed it’s the essence of joy to know that the Beyond is somehow contained within us.”