Let’s do a study of joy and let’s look at it from the perspective of the spelling of the word JOY.

• J= Jesus first

• O= Others second

• Y= Yourself third

Jesus First:

The more we love Jesus and seek His presence, the more joy we will experience. Psalms 22:3 says that God imhabits praises, or He is enthroned in praise. This means, praise brings us into His presence. Psalms 16:11 states that in God’s presence is fullness of joy. Isaiah 61:3 speaks of the oil of joy. Whatever we go through, we can praise God and enter His presence where he will anoint us with the oil of joy.

Joy is a spiritual force that is stronger than how we feel, and it can impact our feelings. Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy of the Lord is your strength, so when circumstances leave you weak, go to the Lord for His joy, and His strength. The Lord has never been defeated; He even laughs at His enemies… and so can you. As a Christian, you have the fruit of the Spirit in you, and joy is one of them. As you pray, worship, and speak the Word, you release God’s joy.

Others Second:

As we put others before ourselves, we will bless them and experience the joy of giving. We were at a restaurant and gave the server a generous tip. We could see the joy this brought her, and it gave us joy in return. A real secret to walking in joy is learning to give to others. Joy is in the giving. God loves a hilarious giver. According to Luke 6:38, when we give, others will give back to us, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. This is true of the joy that comes with giving. It speaks of overflow. So, the next time you face something, give to others and your joy will manifest until it runs over. The more you give, the more joyful you can be.

Yourself Third:

Do yourself a favor and learn to invest in yourself. It’s perfectly fine to take care of yourself and pamper yourself. When you’ve poured out to others, it is good to fill back up. So it is okay to treat yourself to something you like to do something you enjoy doing. Remember, as you delight yourself in God, He delights in giving you the desires of your heart. God wants to bless you for blessing Him and blessing others, so be willing to accept it.

As we follow the word JOY in our priorities and keep things in balance, our joy will be full and complete.

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:22-24 (KJV)