Jesus, Others, You

I can’t think of the word “joy” without thinking of that acronym Jesus, Others, You.
I wasn’t sure how it tied in to the uses of the actual word joy in the Bible, even though putting yourself last is definitely a Biblical concept:

Mark 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

In the Old Testament, I find references to joy as an outpouring of praise to God and general happiness, such as Psalm 33:1, which says, “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him,” and “They are led in with joy and gladness” from Psalm 45:15.

I also find references to joy in Job which imply a sense of satisfaction and strength, in spite of his overwhelmingly bad circumstances, “Then I would still have this consolation–my joy in unrelenting pain–that I have not denied the words of the Holy One” (6:10).

The many references to joy in the New Testament most often refer to Christ’s birth or His work in us or in others. Luke 6:23 says, “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.” The infilling of joy is our response to God for all that He has done in us.

After studying the verses in which joy appears, in both the New and the Old Testaments, it reminds me that the acronym JOY is fitting and appropriate. When we are happy, that should result in our praise of Jesus. If you focus on Others, it is difficult to get mired in self-pity if You don’t think that everything is going your way.

I can think of myself last, putting the needs of others first and keeping my focus on Jesus. This adds up to living a life of service to God and others, which according to the Matthew verse above, puts me first in Jesus’ kingdom. Can there be any greater joy than this?

How have you found joy in serving others?