Having Fun is Serious Business
Nehemiah 8:10 — Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!
I think we need to get serious about having fun.
Somewhere along the way, adulthood started to feel like a slow stacking of weight. Things like bills, responsibilities, taking care of the kids, then our parents, deadlines, and expectations pulling at us.
Before long, it’s like life has quietly taken the life right out of us. Not all at once. Just little by little, until laughter feels like something we used to do.
Think about it for a second. What did you love to do as a kid? The kind of things you wouldn’t suggest doing now because it feels… a little childlike.
Maybe it’s a waterpark. Go-karts. Putt-putt. What about riding a horse?
Here’s the thing. You still could do those things!
It’s kind of sad that we feel like we have to carve out time on our calendars just to have fun, but the truth is, we were designed to live lives full of joy. We were meant to live with a childlike sense of wonder and joy.
Researchers say laughing is like “jogging on the inside.” It’s cardio for your core.
Researchers say laughing is like “jogging on the inside.” It lowers stress, engages your body, and reminds you that joy isn’t frivolous—it’s restorative.
Because joy was never meant to be separate from a faith filled life. It was meant to sustain it.
The strength you need from God won’t always come from pushing harder. It often comes from receiving the joy He gives. I’m not talking about a shallow escape or avoiding responsibility, but I’m talking about a steady, rooted gladness that reminds you God is still good in the middle of real life.
Because the God who calls you to faithfulness also invites you to joy. So maybe this isn’t about adding something extra to your life. Maybe it’s about returning to something you were never meant to lose.
Take the trip to the waterpark. Play a round of putt-putt. Laugh until your stomach hurts. Not because you’re ignoring life’s responsibilities, but because you’re remembering that God is still good.
And when you do, you may discover something surprising: joy isn’t a distraction from the life God has given you. It’s one of the ways He gives you strength to keep living it.
The joy of the Lord really is your strength.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- What is something you loved doing as a child that brought you genuine joy?
- Have responsibilities crowded out healthy joy in your life? What might God be inviting you to rediscover?
- What is one simple, life-giving thing you can do this week to enjoy God’s goodness and be refreshed by His joy?
