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Newsflash! Christians Are Allowed to Have Fun
“A merry heart does good, like medicine” (Proverbs 17:22a, NKJV)
I’ve met many Christians over the years who see God as stern, always serious, and against having fun. These people see God as so harsh and stringent that it can wring every bit of fun and enjoyment out of their lives.
In a 2012 article for Relevant magazine, Adam and Christine Jeske humorously sum up this unfortunate mindset pretty well:
“Go ahead and circle the wagons. Keep your head down. Suck it up, people. Let’s prepare for imminent martyrdom. Put on sackcloth. Sit in ashes. Skip all pleasures. Grit your teeth. Furrow your brow. Let’s hunker down and get seriously disciplish.”
Sadly, for many Christians, this compulsion to be “seriously disciplish” all the time isn’t a joke. It’s their reality.
It’s true that God wants us to love Him above all else. It’s true that He wants us to willingly sacrifice for Him, and to be distinct from the culture around us. We are to love, obey, and follow Him. We are to live for Him. All that is true.
It’s also true that God is NOT against fun!
