“The JOY of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b.
The dictionary defines JOY as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.” It’s certainly something we all desire. You’ll find the word JOY in the Bible over 200 times.
The book of Psalms is full of scriptures about JOY. Here are two of my favorites: “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for JOY” (Psalm 5:11) and “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving JOY to the heart” (Psalm 19:11.)
My third-grade Sunday school teacher used an acronym for JOY that I’ve never forgotten. She taught us to put Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. What a wise lady!
Putting Jesus first means reading my Bible and spending time in prayer. It means worshipping regularly, even when it’s inconvenient. It means serving others as Jesus served. It means making personal sacrifices in order that He will be exalted! Putting Others ahead of myself means yielding my control of a situation to someone else. It means letting someone go ahead of me in line. It means asking my family what they’d like to do on a free evening, instead of telling them what I want to do. It means living by the Golden Rule. It means showing kindness every minute of every day.
I’ve found that when I put Jesus first, others second, and myself last, I’ve never had regrets. My heart truly is filled with JOY when I brighten someone else’s day. Being kind to others and living by the Golden Rule fills me with JOY. Our world is full of people who are sad, defeated, and depressed, so there’s never been a greater need for JOY. Jesus-Others-Yourself=No Regrets!
Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest,
well-spring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother, all who live in love are thine;
teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.
(Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, verse 3)
Susan Easttom, Director of Family Ministries
