JOY

One of my home school friends introduced me to the following acronym earlier this year and I fell in love with it.

God has told us that our earthly existence is about having joy (2 Nephi 2:25). The world teaches us that to achieve joy, we must focus on ourselves, but Jesus has taught that “whosoever will lose his life in this world, for my sake, shall find it in the world to come.” (JST Matthew 16:28)

Regarding this verse, President Kimball has taught, "…the more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. We become more significant individuals as we serve others. We become more substantive as we serve others—indeed, it is easier to “find” ourselves because there is so much more of us to find! (“Small Acts of Service”, Ensign, Dec 1974)

My father taught me that the law of the tithe not only applied to my money but also to my time and my talents. President Heber J. Grant once taught,  “I bear witness—and I know that the witness I bear is true—that the men and the women who have been absolutely honest with God, who have paid their tithing, … God has given them wisdom whereby they have been able to utilize the remaining nine-tenths, and it has been of greater value to them, and they have accomplished more with it than they would if they had not been honest with the Lord” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1912, p.30).

I know this tithing promise applies to our time as well. When we put Jesus and others first, miracles happen and we are always able to get the important things in life accomplished. As President Benson has taught,

 

“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.”

(Ezra Taft Benson, “The Great commandment – Love the Lord, Ensign, May 1988)

I know that that this equation of putting Jesus and others first works and that it will pay big dividends in this life and in the life to come!

~~Paula Taylor

Want to comment on how YOU have JOY? I know that you do.....