Joy

“One day it will be said of all those who are his that God was faithful to his every word and true to his every promise.” - Challies

“Ignatius of Antioch…wrote a letter beginning with these words: ‘To the Church which is at Ephesus … deservedly most happy… . Abundant happiness through Jesus Christ, and His undefiled joy.’” - Randy Alcorn

“…if I find social media that refreshes me, as I sometimes do, I go for it. If it just drains and discourages or irritates me, I need to stay away.” - Randy Alcorn

“…schadenfreude is a sin of the spirit, and freudenfreude is a fruit of the Spirit. Schadenfreude is rooted in envy, one of the darkest of the seven deadly sins.” - James Emery White

“some Christians, in the name of moral obligation, wear frowns, dutifully living a paint-by-the-numbers religious existence, and proudly refraining from what ‘lesser’ people do to be happy. They seem to wear their displeasure as a badge of honor.” - Randy Alcorn

“It’s often been said that if God is great but not good, we’re doomed to extinction; if he’s good but not great, then we’re doomed as well, because there’s nothing he can do about our needs.” - Olinger

“Content[ment] is the philosopher’s stone which turns all it touches into gold; happy is he who has found it. Content[ment] is more than a kingdom, it is another word for happiness. —C. H. Spurgeon” - C.Leaders

In the NT: “a unique connection between the Holy Spirit and joy…. ‘rejoiced in the Holy Spirit’ (Luke 10:21) … ‘received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit’ (1 Thessalonians 1:6–7)…. ‘the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’ (Romans 14:17).” - Desiring God

“This is a choice you make. This mental choice is rooted in the Christian’s ability to recognize that trials are not meaningless acts of suffering. Instead, they are providential instruments of grace.” - Jack Lee