The bible speaks clearly and even emphatically about the importance of joy in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice!” Then, Paul the Apostles states this in a different way two verses later, “6 Be anxious for nothing.” God wants us to be full of joy. Nehemiah 8:10 declares for us “not to be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” How many times in our life have we heard J (Jesus), O (Others) then Y (You). The seems to be so Sunday School-ish; however, it is very true.
Jesus. Matthew 6:33 states, “Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the other things we will be added to you.” To be full of Joy, you have to start with your love and commitment to Jesus.
Others. Philippians 4 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. This verse is clear. To be joyful, it is not a life of me, myself and I. We must learn to value and serve others.
You. Even though we are to place Jesus first and others 2nd, the importance of “you” is huge. Jesus states in Matthew 22:39, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you don’t love/like yourself, you will not love/like others.
Having JOY in our lives seems to be a simple thesis; however, because of our selfishness it becomes difficult. Let’s no forget how it is produced, Jesus-Others-You. Blessings!
Barnabas Man 