J.O.Y. (Jesus. Others. Yourself.)
Lately, the Lord has really been speaking to me about joy. What a huge topic! The Bible covers joy in so many ways. For example, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2). “You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence” (Psalm 16:11). “The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing” (Proverbs 10:28). And sooo many more.
Here’s the thing: Joy isn’t simply an emotion. Joy is a choice. Joy is a conscious decision to look beyond circumstances and trials and hardships. Joy is a conscious decision to look, instead, at Jesus…. a conscious choice to put Jesus above all else.
The Lord has been showing me that choosing JOY is choosing to live with J.O.Y., or what I call the I AM THIRD mentality. I have seen and read testimonies from the I am Second movement and certainly applaud their devotion. Any life with Christ as its focus is a life well lived. Yet, I think to be Biblically accurate, we actually have to say I am Third….even lower than third, if that’s possible. Here’s how that works: Jesus always and forever has to be first….in our hearts, in our minds, in our lives, in our thinking, in our homes. FIRST. Mark writes in his gospel, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (12:30). ALL is the key word there! Then, We can go back to Moses and the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Matthew writes that we are to “seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness” (6:33). In others words, seek Jesus FIRST. Put Jesus FIRST. And in that coveted second place? OTHERS. We…I….have to put OTHERS before ourselves. That is scriptural. You know…..that whole “love your neighbors as yourselves” thing (Mark 12:31). Then, finally, we, the Christ-followers, are to assume the lowest place….dead last. Matthew writes, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (23:11-12). That’s pretty clear: if you’re looking for greatness, SERVE. Serve others- not yourself! Paul writes, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Our own personal, selfish desires and wants should always come in line BEHIND the needs of others. It’s that simple. Take the lower position. Or in Jesus words, take the lower place at the table (Luke 14:10). So…. I am third. I am choosing to live in J.O.Y.
Is choosing to live in J.O.Y. always easy? Haha….well, in the divinely inspired words of Paul, “CERTAINLY NOT!” And, to be honest, I think it’s even more difficult in our post-Covid world than ever. I have been a teacher in a public school setting for 24 years. In that time, I have seen a tremendous shift in both teen and adult thinking. In recent years, I have seen a huge emphasis on mental health…which, don’t get me wrong, can be a very good thing. But I have also seen the rise of and emphasis on (what I call) the Me First movement. I have seen my students become completely self-focused….totally absorbed in their own lives to the point that they cannot see others. They cannot see Christ. They have truly become the center of their own universe. Using the analogy of the solar system, everything in their lives revolves around them. Everything is designed to contribute to their positive mental state. And, sadly, as a result of that self-absorption, I have seen today’s teenagers become more and more depressed and anxious. Because they cannot see beyond themselves, they cannot see, much less experience, the joy that can only be found in serving God and then in serving others….in putting others before themselves. They cannot see the joy that can only be found in knowing an omnipotent and omniscient God……in serving a resurrected Savior….in living a life of service to others. And there is the heart of the Christian experience…in Jesus’ day and today….KNOWING GOD, SERVING HIM, and LIVING A LIFE THAT PUTS HIM FIRST. Because, in Christianity, Christ is first. PERIOD. Our duty and our delight is found in serving Him first. Jesus even modeled that serving behavior by putting us first. Jesus willfully and willingly and obediently laid his life down for ours…..for you and for me. He counted His life as worth nothing, while counting our lives as worth everything….ultimately making the greatest sacrifice ever. And so many of our kids can’t see it…can’t see Him.
So, as you are out and about today, can you pray for our kids? Pray for our teens. Pray that they would have a personal encounter with the King. Pray that they would see Him and come to know Him. As for you, remind yourself that the joy of the Lord is your strength. Remind yourself to count it all joy when you fall into various trials (because yes, there will be trials…guaranteed!). Remind yourself that God is working in you and doing a beautiful thing. Remind yourself to walk in J.O.Y.: Jesus first, then others, then yourself. Pray for opportunities to love and serve others, without strings, without expectations, without concern for yourself. Remind yourself that you are third. Then, wait on the Lord with a fearful and awesome expectation…..and enjoy the joy as it rolls in!