Adulting is so hard. We are faced daily with the weight of a million little decisions we are responsible for making, which include everything from if we are going to get up in time to shower before work to how to manage our homes. Money, parenting, work, friends, and so much more can crowd our thoughts.
The older I get, the more I see the importance of taking time to have fun, and I’d go as far as to say that creating fun for your community and family is actually a ministry. We all are hoping to be given permission to jump off the diving board again, laugh so hard our bellies hurt, or sing silly songs loudly just because. We miss the carefree and joyful days of childhood when life was about fun. We long for lighthearted moments that have the power to lift off some of the weight that the rest of our days hold.
I know as a mom of five kids, I see fun as a need. It energizes my marriage, helps infuse joy in my hurried soul, and it helps me to remember not to take myself quite so seriously. Most of my time is spent hustling to feed, teach, clothe, bathe, and love my people. What keeps me from burning out are Sunday night dinners with friends that are filled with silly inside jokes, games, and a community that loves to laugh together. We need breaks from the ordinary to remember life is more than an endless checklist. We were created to experience joy.
What Are the Benefits of Having Fun?
Engaging in playful fun activities actually has a positive impact on your mind and body. When we sit down to giggle with our people, we bring our stress levels down. This reduction in cortisol helps keep away sickness and disease. Less stressed-out bodies sleep better. Serotonin and melatonin production are connected. So, when we have better serotonin levels, we sleep better at night.
I’m convinced fun keeps us young! It taps into that youthful part of you that actually helps protect you from disease. Fun has the power to heal. When we experience joy, we replace the memories of loss and trauma with positive ones. It keeps us energized! Nothing like getting outside your normal comfort zone to infuse you with some much-needed energy. Fun improves our relationships. It is a special positive way for us to connect with our loved ones.
The Bible Tells Us to Have Fun
Ecclesiastes 2:24 says, “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God.” Basically, enjoyment is a gift from God. He wants us to work with joy, give with joy, and love others with joy!
Proverbs 17:22 tells us, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Pleasure in our lives acts like medicine for our bodies! God knows that even on a biological level, we benefit from the endorphins released when we allow ourselves space to relax, laugh, and enjoy our surroundings.
Philippians 4:4 states, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” In every season of life, we are commanded to find joy in the Lord. That means we have to take our eye off the toil, to-do list, and things that may feel like they are going wrong. We have to cultivate gratitude and take part in joy-filled worship. Celebration is a part of the Christian life.
Bring Fun to Others
The ministry of having fun is real, powerful, and biblical! We are not called to have a dull, no-fun-for-anyone kind of relationship with God. After all, Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine! The Creator of the universe knows how to throw a good party.
How then can we be people that bring fun into our own lives and even create fun for others? Fun comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes my favorite fun is sitting on the couch with my favorite friends to chat about the movies we love and laugh together at our silly inside jokes. Use your strengths as a way to bring fun to others.
Being a good hostess is a way we can bring fun to our friends and family. That doesn’t mean a Pinterest-perfect hostess. No need for a perfectly manicured space or an elaborate party. Just be willing to throw snacks out on the table and let your community run wild through your home. These shared moments build community and help others feel like they have a space in your life. I’ve personally seen miracles happen just from being willing to open my home weekly after church for a thrown-together potluck-style meal with about 25 kids running around. The love felt as we laugh at our kids' antics, enjoy home-cooked meals, and share stories around the table has changed the lives of those who have chosen to show up.
Engage your community through celebrations! Be the person that remembers your co-worker's birthday and bring in that cake for lunch. Celebrate milestones with your friends. Go big in your neighborhood and throw holiday parties for everyone to attend. These carefree moments offer chances for the people around you to feel loved. That love may be the closest thing to the love of Christ some of the people we know will ever experience. Don’t miss a chance to make others feel seen, known, and loved.
Our church puts off fireworks for the community on the 4th of July. Honestly, when they first announced this event, I was annoyed with it. It seemed like a lot of money to spend on “fun” for the community. Couldn't this money be better spent on the “ministry?” It wasn’t until a sermon I recently heard that I got the why behind this over-the-top community event. Jesus is about bringing lost souls into his family. As a church, we can lose sight of this. This event is about giving those who would never come to a church campus a safe and fun space to just be there. It’s an entry point that is not intimidating. It’s a chance for us to invite that unbelieving neighbor, co-worker, or family member to a church event. It’s fun on a mission!
We can do the same. We can create fun in our lives as a way to show others a little bit of what God’s hope, peace, and love are all about. Let’s let adulting distract us from God’s ministry of fun!
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/ViewApart
Amanda Idleman is a writer whose passion is to encourage others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for My Daily Bible Verse Devotional and Podcast, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, the Daily Devotional App, she has work published with Her View from Home, on the MOPS Blog, and is a regular contributor for Crosswalk.com. She has most recently published a devotional, Comfort: A 30 Day Devotional Exploring God's Heart of Love for Mommas. You can find out more about Amanda on her Facebook Page or follow her on Instagram.