Thoughtful Thursday: Bringing JOY

Last week we talked about “finding joy” during this Christmas season.  Having the joy that only God can give is a necessity in order to have true, eternal joy.   Once you have this joy, following the two greatest commandments God give us, will help you find joy.  Remember this by using the acronym for JOY.

J – Jesus

O – Others

Y – You

Luke 2:10 “for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,”.  This was announced by the angel regarding Christ’s birth.  How wonderful an opportunity that angel had to be able to announce this joyous message!  We have that same opportunity now, but in a different way.  We have the opportunity to share the message of the Savior that was born, died, resurrected, and the gift of eternal life that He wants to give to all.  Sharing the gospel with someone is a great way to bring joy.

Finding someone in need, and fulfilling that need is another way to bring joy.  Everyone’s needs are so varying.  You may come across someone who just needs a kind word.  Proverbs 12:25 “Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.” 

Here are a few other ideas to bring joy to someone at Christmas:

-Buy all the supplies for “Christmas dinner” and take it to someone.

-Smile kindly at everyone you come across.

-Offer free babysitting to someone that seems overwhelmed and may just need a break.

-Buy and deliver gifts to a family that is struggling financially.

-Donate outgrown clothing to a homeless shelter.

-Go caroling at a hospital or nursing home.

These are only a few of the things that can be done to bring joy to others.  I encourage you to look for opportunities everywhere you go to fulfill a need for someone, whether seemingly great or small.  You never know how God will use you to bring the gift of joy this Christmas!