Q. A church can really value fun?
A. Yes! – Check out why…
Core values make clear the reason the church does what it does. They drive the church to accomplish its mission. We want our values to align with the Bible so that what we do honors God and leads us to accomplish the mission that He has called us to.
The value that we are highlighting today is Having Fun. After your kids are finished with the day’s activities a very common question to ask is, “did you have fun today?” When you are in the middle of an activity or gathering you might hear someone ask, “are you having fun?” Usually, it’s obvious what the answer is. People see it on your face. They see how you interact with people and engage in what is happening.
It’s really hard to have fun when you don’t know or don’t like the people you are with. It’s even harder to have fun with someone that has hurt or wronged you. Because we value authentic relationships, we readily acknowledge that with relationships come being wronged and being hurt. Thankfully, Jesus has given us an incredible reason to forgive. He’s also given us an example of forgiveness, and the power to forgive others. We value fun because fun authenticates forgiveness, the key component of lasting relationships. Try having fun with someone you haven’t forgiven (you can’t!). Check out some of these verses about forgiveness - Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13, 1 John 1:9.
Pastor and Christian leader, Carey Nieuwhof writes about other benefits of having fun. He writes, “Fun over time equals connection. Ever notice you connect at a whole new level with the people you laugh with? Fun over time breaks down walls, authenticates forgiveness (you can’t have fun with people you haven’t forgiven), and even more than that, fun heals.”
In the Bible, the apostle Paul writes that his readers should “always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NLT). I think this joy of the Lord and this rejoicing can be seen on your face. It can be seen in the way that you interact with people and engage with what is happening. Of course, we all express it differently, but however you express it, it’s a fun, it’s a joy, that can happen even when you are in prison! (This is where Paul was when he wrote those words).