Does Every Activity We Engage In Have To Be "Fun"?

Looking at all of the sports and entertainment events that are now available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, has seemingly desensitized people's minds into thinking that every activity we engage in has to be "fun" or it's not worth engaging in.

Children are taught that if an activity is not "fun" ...... then very little value can be gained from engaging in it. By contrast, we need to teach our children that much of what we "do" in the form of setting goals and achieving those goals, comes to us in the form of hard "work" — sometimes very grueling and monotonous work, i.e., hoeing weeds, digging ditches, planting a garden, cleaning houses, office buildings, etc. — and there is much to be learned in performing such grueling and monotonous work (self-discipline, for example).

As I wrote in this article: "Monotony can be a breeding ground for envy and discontent, or it can be the training ground for the development of Christian character and a life of Christ-like service. It all depends on whether we can see God in the ordinary duties of life."

Yes beloved, we need to "see God in the ordinary duties of life" in order for our lives to have meaning, just as the lady in the above article understood as she performed the same cleaning tasks in the same office building for 40 years. Every activity we engage in doesn't necessarily have to be "fun" — but it does need to be meaningful — an activity that benefits ourselves, other people, and most importantly, gives glory and honor to God (Isaiah 43:7; Matthew 5:14-16).

I'm sure that Jesus didn't find hanging on a cross for six painful and grueling hours "fun" — but it was a necessary and meaningful activity, in the sense that it needed to be successfully accomplished in order to (1) benefit the souls of sinful mankind (John 3:14-17; Romans 4-5) and (2) accomplish the will of the Father (Luke 22:39-42). The answer then to the above title question is no, every activity we engage in does not have to be "fun."

Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets

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