I'm reading this really great book called "The Life You've Always
Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People" by John Ortberg. I
wanted to share a quote with you guys.

The Necessity of Joy for Spiritual Life

We have greatly underestimated the necessity of Joy. Nehemiah said to
his grieving congregation, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do
not mourn or weep....Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and
send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this
day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the
Lord is your strength."

Joy is strength. Its absence will create weakness. Or, in the words
of Dallas Willard, "Failure to attain a deeply satisfying life always
has the effect of making sinful actions seem good. Here lies the
strength of temptation....Normally, our success in overcoming
temptation will be easier if we are basically happy in our lives. To
cut off the joys and pleasures associated with our bodily lives and
social existence as 'unspiritual,' then, can actually have the effect
of weakening us in our efforts to do what is right."

Here is a key task for spiritual vitality: we must arrange like so
that sin no longer looks good to us. One gets the sense that when
Mother Teresa drove in congested traffic, she didn't have a hard time
keeping herself from making rude gestures or calling other drivers bad
names. Why? Such actions no longer looked appealing to her. She
found a better way to live. The joy of the Lord brought strength.

I think the time has come, strange as it sounds, for us to take joy
seriously.

You can become a joyful person. With God's help, it really is
possible. The biblical writers would not command it if it were not
so. But joyfulness is a learned skill. You must take responsibility
for your joy. Not your friend, not your parent, not your spouse, not
your kids, not your boss - your joy is your responsibility.