Wake Up Call

Lately, in school there has been a cloud of tiredness hanging over the students. It can be extremely hard to stay positive and cheerful in a world that is so glum. In my Bible class, we recently talked about the difference between happiness and joy. My teacher asked, "What makes you happy?" Students raised their hands and began to name objects, people, food, movies, and other items that made them happy. He smiled and said, "OK then, will you agree that happiness in based on circumstance?" We nodded.

Dictionary.com says that happiness is 'delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing, characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy: favord by fortune; fortunate or lucky: apt or felicitous, as actions, utterances, or ideas: obsessed by or quick to use the item indicated.'

Then he asked us what we thought joy was. This question was a lot harder to answer. We concluded that joy is a choice.

Dictionary.com defines joy as 'the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety, a state of happiness or felicity.'

My concern is how the students seem to be going from tiredness into a 'depression' of sorts. Into school, they come chanting, "Ugh, I hate this school”, and then as if it's funny”, I just wanna kill myself!"

Not all students are like this though. Some come in with a smile on their face, and skip in their step, and a kind word to say. These people are destined for greater things. They greet you even though it is early in the morning. These specific groups of people are a blessing to those who need to be uplifted.

Now, this is funny, those who come into school saying, I hate this place, are the ones whom by lunch are loudest in the lunchroom! They are laughing with their friends and having a good time.

I believe that we are called to be in good spirits even if it is early in the morning. Waking up to your devotional and the scriptures starts your day on the right foot. As Christians, we are called to be joyful in all circumstances. Students talk about how they wake up with just enough time to rush out the door. They are concerned only with the seconds in their time span to prepare themselves for the day physically. Their focus is not on the new day the Lord has given them but on themselves.

Matthew 6:25-34 says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, reap, or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they are? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in his entire splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. However, seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

We need to start our day in a mindset of joy and happiness. To accomplish this we must be in the scriptures! Then we will be awake and ready for our next wake up call!