Come on, sing it with me–you know you can. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy… wait… you don’t? You’re unhappy? Groaning? Weary?

Let’s be honest. How many of us fall into ruts and lose sight of that joy? Sadly, it all comes down to one overarching problem.

Selfishness is killing us, people! It’s eroding our souls, destroying our lives, and degrading society.

It’s the simplest of things, really. Things we learn in elementary school and forget when we become adults. When we put Jesus first, others second, and ourselves last, we have joy.

When we indulge in wallowing, self-pity, and a doom-and-gloom perspective, we have sadness, depression, and frustration.

Proverbs 19:23 says:

The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.

Going back to our popular children’s song, can you claim the second and third verses to be true? Do you have the love of Jesus down in your heart? Do you have the peace that passes understanding? And if not, how can you get it?

2 Timothy 3:1-5 predicts that there will be many who fall into this abysmal pattern.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Sound like society? Sound like anyone you know? Sound like you?

This is another one of those situations where the Bible makes it simple and easy to understand what we need to do. Matthew 16:24 says,

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

That’s it. All we have to do is let ourselves, our lusts, and our wishes come last. Serve and love our Lord and our neighbors before we satisfy our own wants.

There’s true joy in redemption. Seek first the kingdom of God!