William Barclay Quotes

The Bible talks plentifully about joy, but it nowhere talks about a 'happy Christian.' Happiness depends on what happens; joy does not. Remember, Jesus Christ had joy, and He prayed 'that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.'

A Christian is never bored or sad. Rather, the one who loves Christ is full of joy and radiates joy.

Dear young people, Jesus gives us life, life in abundance. If we are close to him we will have joy in our hearts and a smile on our face.

There are other kinds of joy found in other places in the world, but there is no place where you can find Christian joy except in Christ.

God is not a God of sadness, death, etc., but the devil is. Christ is a God of joy, and so the Scriptures often say that we should rejoice ... A Christian should and must be a cheerful person.

I am discovering that in trying to find God's will and the shape of the Christian life I have begun an adventure so great that its total completion will always be ahead.

I don't think it's that hard [to lead a Christian life]. To me it's fun. We have joy and happiness.

Our hope in Christ for the future is the mainspring and the mainstay of our joy down here today.

And as a Christian, I got something the world didn't give me, the world can't take away, so I find joy that can never be reduced to anything.

For seven years ancient Israel could not be stopped in the Joshua book. I have found this to be a great imagery and analogy for the Christian life. As Christians, we have the same images. We've come out of Egypt (been saved) we've crossed over, and Jesus Christ is our Moses and our Joshua.

Do not be content to live a mediocre Christian life: walk with determination along the path of holiness.

Holiness is not the way to Christ. Christ is the way to holiness.

If only everyone could experience the joy of being Christian, being loved by God Who gave His Son for us!

Remember, the first road to God is prayer, the second is joy.

Christlikeness is a journey, not a destination. The joy is in the journey.

Happiness is about what happens to you; and, to an extent, it's dependent on your circumstances, your behaviors, and your attitudes. But the joy of Christ is much, much bigger. The joy of Christ is about relationship with a person. It's something you have access to, but it's also something you must choose. Christian joy shows up not only in the happy times but also in times of trial and discouragement.

Becoming a Christian is the work of a moment; being a Christian is the work of a lifetime.

The Christian life is one of faith, where we find ourselves routinely overdriving our headlights but knowing it's okay because God is in control and has a purpose behind it.

Our knowledge of Jesus is in need above all of a living experience: Another person's testimony is certainly important, as in general the whole of our Christian life begins with the proclamation that comes to us from one or several witnesses. But we ourselves must be personally involved in an intimate and profound relationship with Jesus.

That's what life is for, to find that joy in yourself.

Here is the truly Christian life, here is faith really working by love, when a man applies himself with joy and love to the works of that freest servitude in which he serves others voluntarily and for nought, himself abundantly satisfied in the fulness and riches of his own faith.

The greatest thing that will please God is that you maintain an attitude of unshakable joy.

The one supreme business of life is to find God's plan for your life and live it

If we think we will have joy only by praying and singing psalms, we will be disillusioned. But if we fill our lives with simple good things and constantly thank God for them, we will be joyful, that is, full of joy.

Christian living means dying with Christ and rising again. That, as we saw, is part of the meaning of baptism, the starting point of the Christian pilgrimage.