Joy

“Repeatedly, Solomon encourages us first to find and take joy in these ordinary aspects of life. And second, he urges us to recognize that these are good gifts from God” - Ligonier

“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