As Christians, we should be able to experience joy in every situation — no matter what.

The angel brought "news of great joy" as she announced the birth of Jesus. Jesus himself said we could share his joy (John 15:11). Paul told the Christians in Philippi and Thessalonica to rejoice always. According to James, we can "consider it pure joy" when we face trials.

God wants us to be full of joy. He wills that we should be happy, content and at peace. This well-being is Jesus' "life to the full" — the life he came to bring us (John 10:10.) At the same time, why is it that a lot of folks who try to live by the Bible can't find happiness or contentment any more easily than others who don't profess faith in God?

I've always known God's word wouldn't tell us to do the impossible. But for many years, how I felt was ruled by my circumstances. In good times, I felt good. In the hard times, I'd be fearful, anxious or discouraged. I tried to "fake it till I make it," so my friends didn't know how I really felt. When I became a psychologist I hoped to find the answer, but was soon disappointed. God had richly blessed me, so sometimes I wondered, "Why can't I just feel satisfied with my life?" Like the Israelites, I wandered in a personal "desert" for 40 years!

Peter says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him" (II Peter 1:3). So the Big Question was, "Since God wants to give us a life full of joy, where is the concise, step-by-step plan for achieving it?" One day while reading Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, I found it! The answers I had been looking for were right there in a passage I'd read many times.

In the first verses of Jesus' first sermon in the first book of the New Testament, I discovered that Jesus provides specific, concise direction for experiencing Christian joy, and illuminates a plan that can prevent emotional distress while helping us achieve true wellness.

I'm excited to finally help others find the biblical path to fulfillment, inner peace, and what I like to call vibrant mental health.

In the course of writing a book, God revealed how the nine fruits of his spirit "grow" when one lives these seminal teachings of Jesus (Galatians 5:22).

I realized this was more than just the answer I'd been seeking, it was convincing proof of the New Testament as a reliable guide to greater inner peace and health.