One of my grandson’s favorite words is happy. At fourteen months of age, he walks around saying “happy, happy, happy.” He is pretty much happy all the time and this bundle of joy makes everyone around him happy.

You could say I am a proud grandpa, and you would be right. I love spending time with my grandkids. They make me happy.

Joy is an important and unique quality needed in leaders.

Paul understood this quality. He could sing praise at midnight while imprisoned for Christ. He wrote from prison to the church at Philippi “rejoice in the Lord always; and again I will say, rejoice.”

How could he face such adversity and have joy?

Paul’s faith was not in himself, but in a risen Savior. His hope was in a reward beyond all comparison to the sufferings of this life.

Spiritual leaders must have joy. Others must see this joy if we are going to lead them to Jesus.

We choose to be happy. However, we can only go around “happy, happy, happy,” when there is an inner joy surpassing the trials of this life.