JOY

Oh, I am so excited to share this Blog!  If you know me well, then you know that my favorite word is JOY!  I get almost giddy when I or someone else says the word.  That sounds a little goofy, right?  But I know where joy comes from.  You see, true joy comes from having a right relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is that peace that surpasses all understanding.  No matter what I face, I know God is right there by my side.  He will never leave me nor forsake me.  It's knowing that the God of the Universe loves me unconditionally.  In fact, He loves me so much that He sent His only Son to pay the ultimate debt and become the atoning sacrifice for my sins.  Wow!  Just thinking about what my Savior did for me, I get overwhelmed. 

This past week a friend gave me a magnet that had the word JOY on it used in an acrostic. J-Jesus, O-Others, Y-Yourself (In that order!).  She knows that's my favorite word.  I love it and love that it came from her heart.  I put it on my refrigerator, where of course, I go alot.  I look at it as a constant reminder of how my relationship with Jesus should be.  If He is Lord of my life, then He needs to be number one.  He needs to be my first priority.  My first love.  Mark 12:36 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."  This love encompasses all of me. My heart, soul, mind, and strength.  That puts all of my focus on Him.  In the world we live in, this is easier said than done.  With so many distractions during my day, it's easy to lose focus and to put somone or something before God.  Father, please forgive me when I do this!  Next, we should put others second.  1 John 3:16-18 says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."  When we show compassion for others and help those in need, we are showing the love of Christ.  We are being a true Christ follower.  Father, please help me show agape love, unconditional love, to others.  I never want to miss an opportunity to be your hands and feet!  Finally, we are to put ourselves last.  Does that mean that we are not as important?  No!  That means that if we keep God first, others second - God will bless our lives beyond anything we could ever dream or imagine.  Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  What a great promise from God!  Always seek Him and His ways and He will bless you.  Psalms 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Father, I pray I always seek you and your will and that the desires of my heart reflect your desires. 

I have the privilege of mentoring a mom of one of our students and in conversation with her today, she asked, "How do I help my kids understand what really matters in this life?  How do I help them seek after God?"  My response was, "JOY!"  Teach them to put Jesus first, others second, and themselves third.  Not only in word, but by your actions.  The story that unfolds in front of them, is how they learn the most.

JOY!  What an incredible word with incredible meaning!  Where do you find your joy?  Is it Jesus, Others, Yourself (in that order)?  Or, do you let the things of this world bring you happiness that will fade and leave you looking and longing for more and more.  Only true joy comes from God!  And that's through having that right relationship with Him.  It's all in our priorities.  Seek that lasting JOY!

His Humble Servant,

Angie Burkeen

 

                                                                      Thanks Julie!