Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say rejoice.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that joy was an essential ingredient of the holy life. Christians who are joyful about their relationship with the Lord have little trouble maintaining their commitment. Conversely, those who are discouraged or depressed are more likely to fall into sin. “Consequently,” wrote Wesley, “whatever dampens our joy in the Lord proportionally obstructs our holiness.” This is why Satan so often attempts to rob Christians of their joyful relationship with the Lord. If he can dampen their joy, he can undermine their commitment to God and so make it much easier to lead them into sin. – Proverbs from the Life Change Bible Study Series. Navpress 2010, p 122.