Why do so many Christians fail to experience real joy, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22? In his book Laugh Again, Charles Swindoll suggests three commonly encountered joy stealers—worry, stress, and fear. He defines worry as excessive anxiety about something that may or may not occur (that usually does not happen); stress as intense strain over a situation we cannot change or control (but God can); and fear as uneasiness over danger, evil, or pain that ends up magnifying our problems. To resist these joy stealers, we must embrace the same confidence that Paul expressed in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” With this assurance, we can begin each day knowing that God is in control. We can leave everything in His hands, then fully relax and rejoice. Although our joy may wane at times, we can take solace in knowing God keeps working in our hearts and is always near. Remember this vital tenet, “happiness depends on happenings; joy depends on Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 1:6.