Party Pooper or Life Saver

Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; 

he who loves wine and oil will not be a rich man.

Proverbs 21:17

              Can I see a show of hands of those who love having fun?  I know I love having fun.  The thing is...does God like having fun?  He seems to have all these rules and then nothing about having fun.  Whats up with that?!  Is it true?  Does God say anything about having fun; or does he see fun differently?

                     Awwwww, you ruined it!!!!!

         

          As for  the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches; but on God, Who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

                                 1 Timothy 6:17

          Why do we believe that God is an old man, sitting on a huge throne; frail and quaking from old age, holding up a bony finger and yelling at us for not following the rules. It all depends on what you call fun.  Does God warn us not to do harmful things that we think are fun?  Lets see.

              Proverbs 21:17 (above) says that you won't have money if you love drinking wine. That's where all your money will go.  And it says whoever loves pleasure would be a poor man.  Usually when people love pleasure and base their whole life on that, they are poor both spiritually and characteristically.   What is the meaning of fun exactly? 

             Fun-enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure.

            

             The word fun doesn't necessarily sound bad.  It's what comes to mind when you hear, say or think that word.     

              Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,  whom you have from God?  You are not your own,  for you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body.

                                                      1 Corinthians 6:19-20

               God says that He doesn't want us to hurt or defile our body because the Holy Spirit is in us!  Would you go into a church drinking wine, beer or any other alcohol  and getting drunk or doing sexual things you think is fun?  When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit entered you and cleaned your soul so He could dwell in you. God and sin cannot dwell in the same place.  I know you may think that I'm a party pooper, along with God and other Christians.  The thing is, the way you have fun and live can open you up to spiritual attack.

              Be very careful then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead, be filled with the spirit.

                                              Ephesians 5:15-18

             If you need to, read this verse a second and even third time.  What are the first three words? Be very careful.  Oh my.  This is serious. Paul could see how you live, even when you party; you need to be careful. He tells us to make the most of every opportunity and  to be wise.  How do you think you could make the best of every moment in your life? When we sin, it's not God that turns His back on us but us that turns our back on Him. God said He would never leave nor forsake us. So why is it when we have fun we don't lose our minds (unless you're drunk) but, we do lose sight of things in a way. 

             Now; it's okay to have fun but, since we're new creations, we cannot have fun in the old way we were used too.  If you love watching comedians,  you should try to find ones who don't curse, and use dirty jokes.  If you enjoy wine and beer, that's okay, as long as you don't get drunk. So then, you should definitely stay away from parties that would lead you to drunkenness. If you like doing adrenaline games like the knife game, the ice challenge or the cinnamon challenge, you should try making up new challenges that are adrenaline filled but safe. And if gossip is the life of your party you need to think of other things to talk about that won't cause rifts and distrust in relationships.  I could keep going, but I think you got the idea. 

       Why are we so Valuable?

          Since God doesn't want us to do all these dangerous and defiling things to ourselves, He must care about us.  Usually, if your family warns you to stay away from someone or something  then, they must care about you enough to step out of their way to tell you. It's like that with God but even better!

         My frame was  not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

                                                   Psalm 139:15

    

        God was there the whole time He created you and me.  He placed every freckle, birthmark and hair in the right place. Even the way we smile, laugh, walk and our physical attributes are created by God and He is familiar with every part of us (read all of Psalm 139). Since He made us with such care and thoughtfulness, why do we treat ourselves so worthlessly? It's because of sin. It has distorted the way we see ourselves. It has defiled us since day one. That is why we need a savior. No matter how much tar you have on your hands, you cannot clean it off yourself. You need an outside source that is clean to be able to thoroughly clean you.  

       God doesn't ruin parties, He saves lives.  He is preparing a celebration for His children that will last for all eternity! A party celebrating the fact that sin is no longer in the world when He creates the new Heaven and earth.  And of us being able to stand in His presence and truly enjoy and worship Him as it was meant to be!

      Next time your having a good time, thank God that He created you to be able to laugh and smile.  Ask Him how you could use that opportunity to glorify Him in the fun times.