With a name like Joy, living up to my name has been a life-long challenge. People often ask

how I manage to maintain a positive attitude, and keep a smile on my face. I can assure you, it

can sometimes be quite difficult. It is rather easy to find joy when all is right with the world, and

everything in life is going according to our plan. However, the true challenge is, how can we

hold on to that Joy while navigating through life’s heartaches and stormy waters?

Our present day world is plagued by an epidemic of so-called depression and anxiety, terms like

“mental health” and “self care” are becoming more and more prevalent as the unsaved world

stumbles around looking in all the wrong places for a cure that can only be found in the One

who SO loved the world.

For us born again children of God, the situation is quite different, we are actually commanded to

be joyful and rejoice, in Philippians‬ 4‬:4‬-7 (Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in

every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto

God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds

through Christ Jesus.) the apostle Paul paints a beautiful picture of how our relationship with our

Savior is the cure to the anxiety and depression of this world, and how HIS peace can overcome

any and all circumstances. But it all starts in verse four, with the charge for God’s children to

rejoice.

The question remains, how can we have joy through life’s journey? During my time at Bible

College, I had the privilege of having some wonderful Christian ladies as my teachers, two of

them, Marlene Evans and JoJo Moffitt, made a special impact in my life. The Lord used their

godly example and joyful attitude through heartbreak and trials to teach me some valuable

principles on JOY that stick with me to this day, let me share them with you…

The acronym JOY stands for Jesus, Others, and Yourself and it ONLY works when we keep

these 3 all important elements in the proper order.

J: Put Jesus first in all you do, nothing is as important as our relationship with our Savior.

Simple things like listening to some God-honoring music, or reading your favorite Bible verse

can help ground you in His love and help you keep the right perspective in your heart and mind.

O: When we are concerned about others and finding ways to help and encourage them, we

have no time to wallow in self-pity or self-concern. When we learn to see the needs of others,

and our heart goes out to them, and as we help them spiritually, emotionally, or materially, we

can experience a joy unknown to self-centered people. Can you be a blessing to someone

today? Bake something for someone who is hurting, write them a note, send an encouraging

text message, go out for coffee together, it might lift their spirit along with yours. It’s hard to think

of your problems if your mind is on someone else.

Y: Take some time for yourself, and do something you enjoy, this will look different for each of

us, for myself that might be baking, having a Starbucks run with my daughter, or spending time

with my family.

Mark 12:30-31 “And thou shalt love the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,

and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is

like, namely this, Thou shalt love Thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment

greater than these.”

Philippians‬ 4‬:4‬-7‬ KJV‬‬ “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation

be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer

and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace

of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ

Jesus.”