The Jukebox

It’s interesting to see how music has evolved over the years. In my generation, we grew up finding music on iTunes and LimeWire, downloading them onto our MP3 players and IPods. Our parents’ generation had vinyl records, cassettes, and CDs to enjoy whole albums. And now, younger generations have everything at their fingertips with streaming subscriptions to Apple Music and Spotify. While I don’t mind where music is headed, there is one invention that has stood the test of time: the jukebox

Here’s how they work: you insert money into the machine, select a track by entering its location or number, and the jukebox automatically plays your song from a collection of records or CDs. Just like that, with the press of a button, your favorite song fills the room.

In the same way that we can choose the song on a jukebox, we also have the power to choose our attitude and focus when life hits us with challenges. It’s really the only thing we have control over.

In Psalm 96 David wrote,

1 “Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
² Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.”

If you study the life of David and the trials that he endured at the time he wrote this it, makes it that much more significant. In the midst of running for his life from King Saul, (See 1 Samuel 21-30) he chose to praise God. Side note: praising God in the midst of a trial might not always change your circumstances but it will always change your attitude and perspective about them.

So today, with so much negativity, division, and noise in the world, choose to change the song on the jukebox. Change it to the good news of heaven and be grateful. The song of heaven says that we are forgiven and loved by our Father, (Romans 5:8) that we are more than conquerors through Christ, (Romans 8:37) and that we are called to unity with one another. (John 17:21) Especially in this politically charged climate, it’s more important than ever to shift the atmosphere with our praise and gratitude for what God has done in our lives.

The Bigger Picture: When the world is singing a song of hatred, war, and division, be the one to change the song. Let the song of heaven full of love, joy, peace and hope in Christ, be what fills the room.