I’m sure you’ve heard of the acronym JOY. J is for Jesus. O is for others. and Y is for yourself. If you live your life in that order, you will have joy.
But, how does that look in your life?
Here’s how it can look in your life.
Let’s start with J.
Put Jesus first in your life. Matthew 6:33 says, ‘Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. What things? Well, just before that verse it says not to be worried about your life, what you will eat and drink, or what you wear. If you are seeking God frost in your life, God will take care of the rest and you will have the peace of God. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Here’s a few verses to encourage you. Philippians 4, 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Basically what these verses are saying is to put your trust in God and let that be your guide as you walk through life. As you make decisions daily, base them off of your trust in God.
OK, now O.
After you have turned your heart towards God, focus on others. Love them. Serve them. Having your heart on God and your focus toward other people will take your focus off of yourself. Whenever we seek ourselves first and focus on ourselves, we end up in a pit. Basically, whenever we are trying to satisfy ourselves with anything other than God, it’s like we are digging a hole that is never-ending, we will never be satisfied. Loving God and loving others brings us great joy. It is the the sum of all of the commandments. Jesus said it when asked what was the greatest commandment. Matthew 22 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Now let’s look at the Y.
The Y for yourself is a little different. Instead of seeing yourself, you’re going to examine yourself. Do I love God with all of my heart, soul and mind? Do I love others? Am I living a life filled with righteousness? Do I know who I am in Christ?
I am Not Condemned (Romans 8:1)
I am Chosen (1 Peter 2:9)
I am a Work in Progress (Philippians 1:6)
I am Victorious! (1 Corinthians 15:57)
I am a New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I am More than a Conquerer (Romans 8:37)
I am Provided For (Philippians 4:19)
I am Forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)
I am Loved (Colossians 3:12)
I am God’s Workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)
Isn’t this amazing?
So, when I love God and others and see myself through His eyes, I will find joy.
It’s completely opposite of what the world is telling you.