JOY;
MOODS; FAITH: AND FEELINGS

The relation of faith to mood may be stated by means of a number of metaphors: if faith is the tree, mood is the blossom; if faith is the flower, mood is the fragrance; if faith is the instrument, mood is the melody. And who will deny the vital place of the blossom, the fragrance and the music in human life?…

Weather may be too hot, too cold, too dry, too wet to favor good crops, and the Christian’s moods, in like manner, may be unfavorable to spiritual growth and fruitfulness. Christian service carried on during prolonged heaviness of heart may be as good as wasted.…

The Christian owes it to the world to be supernaturally joyful. In this day of universal apprehension when men’s hearts are failing them for fear of those things that are coming upon the earth, we Christians are strategically placed to display a happiness that is not of this world and to exhibit a tranquillity that will be a little bit of heaven here below.

John 14:27; 2 Corinthians 4:8–11; Philippians 4:4, 7

The Next Chapter After the Last, 54, 55.