Fun!!

One of the things I want to do this year is have more fun. So I started to wonder if the bible speaks about people having fun? I suppose we have to look at exactly what is meant by fun?

One dictionary definition of fun is, ‘What provides amusement or enjoyment’. There can be many activities which fall into this category. For example, I enjoy doing crafts, therefore, for me crafts are fun. I find it amusing to listen to children chatter among themselves, therefore it is fun.

Proverbs 17:22,  A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.

The word merry means, ‘full of gaiety or high spirits’. The

Proverbs 15:13, A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

It looks like the bible is telling us that we need to lighten up a bit. It also says that being morbid or depressed is going to make us sick. We cannot be weighed down by burdens and walk around with a long face all day either.

I was waiting in the queue at the ATM today when I noticed two swallows flying into a tree. One of them had something white in its beak and I assumed they were busy building a nest. I’ll never know though, because I didn’t have, or take the time to watch them any longer. I thought about how people must have taken the time to observe birds, and animals and all kinds of living creatures to know how they exist. There is so much information available, but it wouldn’t be if people hadn’t taken the time to observe. Would they have been able to sit and watch the animals if it wasn’t fun? I don’t think so. There’s much more to life than making money, but that’s what the world is focused on. Work and be serious until you are about 60, then you can retire and try to have some fun with the money you have gathered. It just doesn’t seem right. There are so many birds to watch building nests that you are going to miss out on if you are focused on making money all the time.

What about sport? Even in the bible it speaks about running the good race.

2 Timothy 4:7, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Then there was Elijah who picked up his skirts and ran faster than a chariot.

1 Kings 18:45-46, Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

I believe that sport should be fun for the participant, but there should be a measure of excellence in it because the goal of most sports is to win.

Jesus had a sense of humour.

Matthew 15:21-26, Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

But He answered her not a word.

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

Here Jesus is having a bit of fun with words but the woman is ready for him.

Verse 27 -28, And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

And just think about Jonah who was sent by God on a very important mission. First he ran in the opposite direction and God sent a fish to swallow him. Seriously? If that isn’t a sense of humour, I don’t know what is, and then, once the people of Nineveh repented, Jonah threw a tantrum. What did God do? He made a vine grow to give Jonah shade and then sent a worm to eat the vine. That could have come out of any comedy movie.

There’s a children’s song that says, ‘smile a while and give your face a rest, lift your hands to the one you love the best’. We need to be praising with jubilation and joy. We need to show the world a smile because we should be really happy that we have been saved!