A bad attitude or good attitude is somewhat of a choice according to these verses.  A merry heart is a key to not having sorrow of the heart or a broken spirit.  So how does one have a merry heart?  The only way a Christian can truly have a merry heart is by keeping a right relationship with the Lord.  If there is sin in your heart and mind then it is going to be hard to have the joy bells singing in your heart.  Your countenance on the outside is just a reflection of your heart on the inside.  A good attitude is produced by a good heart.  A good attitude towards the things of God and the work of God is important to your walk with the Lord.

Affliction and sorrow can break the spirit.  They can produce evil in life of the child of God.  When we let the things of this world take us down, they can destroy our Christian walk.  If we take on the yoke of affliction and try to bear what the Lord never intended for us to bear, we will be taken out sooner or later.  The Lord wants us to go through affliction and sorrow, but instead depend on Him to produce joy in our lives as we look to Him for strength.  This is a daily battle.  You wonder how some Christians just always seem to have a joyful spirit.  Some of it is personality.  However, some of it is just getting up each morning and crucifying the flesh and letting the Lord work in your heart to produce joy.  A merry heart or joy in the Christian life will provide a continual feast of strength to go through afflictions.  Turn to the Lord today and let Him produce the joy of the Lord in your life.  It is not an easy thing but it is critical to living the victorious Christian life.