Outsider Insight – {Full of Joy}

Outsider Insight
Full of Joy
By: Aleesa McArthur
Since coming back to school after Spring Break, many have noticed a decrease in positive attitudes. Although faculty and student council alike attempt to maintain it, joy continues to fade. As Tom Blandi said, “Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working 24 hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.” It is amazing how much attitude can affect something. If we posses such a great force, why don’t we use it to benefit others? Many will agree that people have bad days because this world is filled with sin, but there is also a way to find joy within those hardships. And choosing joy is a choice that has to be made daily.
Joy is a gift we have from the Holy Spirit, but if we are not willing to receive it then we are not prepared to use it. In the world, joy has been skewed. The world will tell you that joy only occurs when everything is perfect and nothing is hard; but as Christians we realize that joy is not dependent on situations or feelings but on the sole sacrifice of Jesus. When we experience trials, joy (or lack of) becomes more evident to everyone around. As Shenie Orr says, “Joy is finding positivity and happiness regardless of the situation. [However] you can have joy without the situation being hard. If you have real joy, it comes out in the most unjoyful situations because it is easy to be happy when things are going your way.”
In Psalm 126, there is a connection between people today and the Israelites. The first verse starts off with joyfulness and thankfulness the nation of Israel had toward God since He had brought them out of captivity. “Our mouths were filled with laughter then, and our tongues with shouts of joy.”
The people were joyful because of the love the Lord shared. The people continued to say, “The LORD has done great things for us, we were joyful.” Notice the fact that it says they “were” joyful. Joy is a free gift (through the Holy Spirit), but we must continue to ask for it and seek the fruits of it; otherwise we can find ourselves settling for a less positive attitude. We must choose joy daily.
In the next verses, we can see that the people realize this and cry out to the Lord asking for more joy. Reassurance is revealed to the people that, “those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Though one goes along weeping carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaths.” This directly relates to us as believers nowadays. The Lord has taken us out of our captivity, sin, by sending His Son Jesus. Because of this sacrifice, we have been granted the gift of joy. We also have the same gifting that the Apostles received at the day of Pentecost through the Holy Spirit. The Lord is still working in our lives; He is still doing great things.
Joy is something that is immensely beautiful and contagious. When one person has joy there is a rippling effect. Mr. Alden proudly shared that the joy in his life comes “through my wife’s smile. When she is smiling, I’m smiling.” When also asked what joy is in his life Mr. Holmes stated, “Joy is happiness to the next level. Eating a burger makes me happy. But seeing my children happy brings me joy.”
We only have a month and a half left of school, don’t waste it. We are here for a purpose and our purpose is to love one another. Sharing joy is one of the easiest ways to spread love. Joy implies choosing to maintain happiness even when we don’t want to. As Perrin Fish said during chapel on Thursday, “Anything that is worth it, takes work.” There is nothing in this world that won’t happen without work or effort. Maintaining a positive attitude is no different. Sharing joy is something that is freely available for all of us, but we have to be willing to receive it.