Is it OK to have fun?

[quietbloke]

You heard right! Is it OK to have fun?

 

[Stillicidia]

Holy and fun, can and will, go together.

Even some Angels are too 'Holy minded' to remove their seriousness and have fun.

It is written be like children. Half of Heaven is all about fun.

 

[Dave-W]

You heard right! Is it OK to have fun?

In the Wesleyan Holiness tradition I was raised in, no.
I heard a "verse" quoted to me: "It is better to mourn than to rejoice;" but I was never able to find the exact location of that statement.

In the (Messianic) Jewish tradition I am now in - yes. In fact it is considered a command to enjoy life and all blessings.
And often I have a real hard time with that.

 

[Ken Rank]

You heard right! Is it OK to have fun?

Why not? Who created you with the ability to smile, laugh, feel joy? I think the line is simply when the "fun" supplants Him as Lord, IOW, when whatever it is that is so fun is elevated above Him... otherwise, I think He takes joy in our joy.

 

[Ken Rank]

In the Wesleyan Holiness tradition I was raised in, no.
I heard a "verse" quoted to me: "It is better to mourn than to rejoice;" but I was never able to find the exact location of that statement.

In the (Messianic) Jewish tradition I am now in - yes. In fact it is considered a command to enjoy life and all blessings.
And often I have a real hard time with that.

Good point Dave... QuietBloke, consider this:

Deut 16:13 "You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress.(14) And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates.(15) Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.

The word for rejoice is a form of śâmach which means to rejoice, have joy, be made glad, to brighten up, be merry... the word 'fun' could be inserted here. God actually commanded His people to have fun.

 

[YouAreAwesome]

First thing that comes to mind: Garden of Eden means Garden of Pleasure!
Second thing that comes to mind: a fruit of the Spirit is joy!
Third thing that comes to mind: who the Son sets free is free indeed!

 

[RDKirk]

In the Wesleyan Holiness tradition I was raised in, no.
I heard a "verse" quoted to me: "It is better to mourn than to rejoice;" but I was never able to find the exact location of that statement.

That's derived from Ecclesiastes 7, but it's not the point of the chapter.

Some of the best fun I've ever had was when we attended Calvary Chapel of Honolulu, where pastor Bill Stonebraker made a special point to be sure all the needs of congregation members were met.

In that regard, he kept a "widows and single mother's list" (the only pastor I've ever known who kept such a list).

He also stated "every member has a resource to share, every member has a need to bare," and urged everyone to pray for the Holy Spirit to make both known. So in that regard, one member who owned a service station offered to donate two of his service bays on a Saturday of each month as well as free parts and supplies for whatever use the pastor could make of them. His chief mechanic also offered his service for a day each month.

The pastor decided that would fit right in with the widows and single mothers list, because such women were vulnerable to economic difficulties caused by auto breakdowns. So each woman was put on a schedule to bring her car in for service every three months. Whatever could be serviced or repaired in a day would be--free of charge.

I was one of the men who volunteered my mechanical skills (I was a pretty decent shadetree mechanic with Fords and Chryslers). We had some volunteers who were professional Chevvy and Toyota mechanics, a couple of other shadetree mechanics, and the chief mechanic of the station who knew doggoned everything.

The time I spent working with those Christian gentlemen to keep those ladies' cars in good condition was pretty much the most fun I've ever had.

 

[xpower]

What kind of fun?

 

[Dave-W]

Good point Dave... QuietBloke, consider this:

Deut 16:13 "You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress.(14) And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates.(15) Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.

The word for rejoice is a form of śâmach which means to rejoice, have joy, be made glad, to brighten up, be merry... the word 'fun' could be inserted here. God actually commanded His people to have fun.

Right. It was commanded.

And that (in my previous days) would have been considered part of the obsolete Mosaic covenant and no longer valid.

 

[Dave-W]

Some of the best fun I've ever had was when we attended Calvary Chapel of Honolulu, where pastor Bill Stonebraker made a special point to be sure all the needs of congregation members were met.

I actually visited a CC near there - West Oahu.

It was a fun service.

I was one of the men who volunteered my mechanical skills (I was a pretty decent shadetree mechanic with Fords and Chryslers). We had some volunteers who were professional Chevvy and Toyota mechanics, a couple of other shadetree mechanics, and the chief mechanic of the station who knew doggoned everything.

The time I spent working with those Christian gentlemen to keep those ladies' cars in good condition was pretty much the most fun I've ever had.

The congregation I attended in college (and a few years after) had a similar thing in place. I helped out with a variety of odd jobs from simple car fixes to yard work to minor home repair.

I did enjoy it. (but don't tell them!!)

 

[Ken Rank]

Right. It was commanded.

And that (in my previous days) would have been considered part of the obsolete Mosaic covenant and no longer valid.

Well, and rightly so, we all know they didn't have any fun in the OT and that God held that blessing back for the NT.

 

[LoveDivine]

I would say, yes. If we truly love Christ our whole life of service to him will be filled with Joy. I think it is evident through the beauty of creation that God intended for us to enjoy spending time in nature and animals.

I think the real issue is not whether fun is right, but whether the outlets, practices, or hobbies we consider to be fun are acceptable. I think this often depends on the heart of the individual and isn't always a hard and fast rule for everyone. ( There are some things that are definitely sinful practices) I think a good test is to examine if your practice cools your affection for Christ. I think our motivation for why we enjoy something is often far more important than the practice itself. I also think that certain outlets or hobbies may be sinful for us to engage in for a season of our life. Once we deal with our wrong motivation the pastime may cease to be detrimental to our spiritual health

 

[Dave-W]

I think the real issue is not whether fun is right, but whether the outlets, practices, or hobbies we consider to be fun are acceptable. I think this often depends on the heart of the individual and isn't always a hard and fast rule for everyone.

Yes. But the tradition I had growing up taught that as soon as an activity became enjoyable, it drifted over into the flesh and became sinful.

 

[Radrook]

Holy and fun, can and will, go together.

Even some Angels are too 'Holy minded' to remove their seriousness and have fun.

It is written be like children. Half of Heaven is all about fun.

What specific holy angels can you name that are described as having that unbalanced attitude and what is the source of your information?

 

[smithed64]

Psalm 139:14
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

David, had fun. He would have these huge get together and people would play music, sing and dance. There are many places in the Word where God shows that we can have fun and enjoy the life that He has so wonderfully gave us.
Remember, Christ provided the wine for a wedding feast. Ever been to a Jewish wedding feast. I haven't either, but have heard they are quite entertaining.

God doesn't expect us to set around all pious and chanting Latin in a dreary old castle. Or just sitting on the couch watching "That ol devils eye" as some of the elder of my church used to call TV when I was growing up.
He gave us life. Think of those times where you've had your heart stopped from someone scaring you silly. Remember that feeling of adrenaline coursing through your body, how good it felt and you were thankful you were alive. Yeah, God put that in us. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Just remember, there's a time for Everything: Ecclesiastes 3

1There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

2A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
3A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
5A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
6A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
8A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.
9What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? 10I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.


God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man

11He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him. 15That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.

Our very lives are a gift of God. I see more reasons why we should have fun, knowing this, than not.

 

[Radrook]

Is it OK to have FUN? That depends on the kind of fun you are intending to have. Is it fun which violates another person's human rights?

For example, listeninmgto music at 1am in the morning and disturbing neighbors who are trying to sleep?

Having sex with another mans wife or raping one of his daughters?

Playing practical jokes that xan cause the elderly a heart attack or other physical harm?

Bantering diserespectfully and humilliating others in the process.

Gloating after beating someone in some contest?

The Devil and his demons have fun possessing people.

Vlad the Impaler, today known as Dracula, had fun impaling people alive and watching them squirm for days.

So it all depends.

 

[Dave-W]

Is it OK to have FUN? That depends on the kind of fun you are intending to have.

Indeed. In post 5 a passage COMMANDING great joy and "fun" was quoted. That was specifically in regards to the Feast of Tabernacles. Chag Sukkot. It was a pilgrim feast meaning that all men had to go to Jerusalem and live in "booths" called sukkas for 7 days. Frequently the women and children would also go.

Josephus wrote that unless someone had been in Jerusalem during Sukkot, he did not know what Joy was at all. But at that same time people started having too much of the wrong kind of "fun" and adultery was rampant. The woman caught in adultery in John 8 was during Sukkot. It got so bad that eventually they had to shut the celebration down (just before the temple was destroyed in 70).

So great joy is a good thing, as long as it is the right kind of joy.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

You heard right! Is it OK to have fun?

Well, the primary life is to pick up our cross daily and follow Y'SHUA.
So, if having fun is part of and does not interfere with living a crucified life, selflessly laying down our lives[every day] for the Gospel's sake for others[who's needs we always consider more important than our own], [even when retired],
no problem.

 

[quietbloke]

What kind of fun?

Pure fun

 

[quietbloke]

Is it OK to have FUN? That depends on the kind of fun you are intending to have. Is it fun which violates another person's human rights?

For example, listeninmgto music at 1am in the morning and disturbing neighbors who are trying to sleep?

Having sex with another mans wife or raping one of his daughters?

Playing practical jokes that xan cause the elderly a heart attack or other physical harm?

Bantering diserespectfully and humilliating others in the process.

Gloating after beating someone in some contest?

The Devil and his demons have fun possessing people.

Vlad the Impaler, today known as Dracula, had fun impaling people alive and watching them squirm for days.

So it all depends.

Not sin but fun without sin