Joy Is A Gift

“Joy is not to be found when other people love us; joy is to be found when we love other people. It is love, then joy. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that is produced as you and I engage in love…The source of joy is God. It is important for us to notice that joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, joy is not something that we manufacture in our lives. Joy is not something that you work up. Joy is something that is given to us as a gift from God. Anytime that you and I try to manufacture joy in our own lives by our own effort, we get nothing more than wax fruit. Wax fruit is not very satisfying.” (Are You So Foolish: A Commentary on Galatians, by Jeff Amsbaugh, pages 399-400)