Last semester, there was a particular reading from my module on Happiness and Suffering that really stuck with me. It hypothesised that happiness exists in three states:
a state of attunement (feeling secure and content irrespective of the circumstances);
engagement with a situation (enjoying activities); and
endorsement of life (feeling good after enjoying something).
Most of us endorse and engage with life — we feel great when we play badminton in our lunch hour, buy something that we want or eat really good Vietnamese food (especially for me!). However, these feelings last as long as the experience. We may find that we move from item to event waiting to re-experience that spark of joy, which is why people chase after activities or practices that help them to become “more joyful”.
Uncle Boon Hoe’s message invites us to reconsider whether we need to chase persistently after something that is incredibly innate. Joy blooms forth from love (John 15:11), and especially through our fellowship (1 John 1: 2-4). I see it in the incredibly careful way that the communion stewards pour into our cups at service, the way that you all spare no expense or effort to feed each other at HF meetings and in the way that the youth laugh with each other. Loving each other is so easy for our Talent Beacon family — we have learnt to share in the Spirit with tenderness and compassion, completing our joy with a common vision and in the same love, spirit and mind (Philippians 2:1-4). We were made capable of joy already.
However, I must acknowledge remaining in love continually is a challenge. This is not far from the struggle that our friends beyond church have to be “more joyful”, but what sets us apart is where we will look to replenish our source of joy. God encourages us to keep His command to aid us in seeking joy (John 15:10), which is unbelievably simple: “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:12-13). The way to remain joyful when it gets hard is to make the choice to continue in love and service to one another. Our source of joy flows so easily, but choosing this is harder than choosing the many, seemingly easier options of the world.
This week, Aunty Kwee Shan and I were especially proud of the youth for the choices made to find joy in love and service, especially when it got tough. C shared his testimony about how he chose to persist in trusting God’s love and remaining joyful in the face of rejection, and we celebrate with him as he enters the course of his choice in university. LX1 was brave and sang during worship for the first time, and LX2 helped me to film a ten-minute long speech for a TAVA event on Monday. The rest of the youth from TB and BB will also be giving their time to help to film more content for our social media today, please keep us in prayer that it will be a fun and productive time.
To end off, we have asked one of our most persistently joyful youth, LX 2, to share her reflection on this week:
It was a joyous Saturday night as we had our usual fellowship greeted with sumptuous dinner and a much anticipated sermon ahead! Uncle BH’s sermon on Saturday was titled, “Joy-full” with its individual letters representing something significant.
J stands for Jesus, O stands for Others and Y stands for You or Yield. I personally always thought that joy was experienced when we encounter something that makes us happy.
However, I learnt that joy was experienced through Jesus and that journeying with God will give us joy. An example given was Jesus’ first miracle. The wine, which was a key part of the wedding banquet, ran out. Instead of looking on the bad side of the situation, Jesus converted water into wine and the joy continued to flow. Indeed, when the order of things is right, joy will intentionally seek after you.We pray that the priorities you have in your life will keep you from dwelling only on bumpier moments, and allow joy to continue chasing after you. Have a blessed week ahead!
Signing off,
Zoe and the Talent Beacon Youth
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