1 john 4.16 (niv), we know and rely on the love GOD has for us. GOD is love. the most talked about attribute of GOD is probably the one that is most misunderstood. first, don't confuse this. it says, “GOD is love”; it doesn't say “love is GOD”. there's a big difference. same difference as saying “my dog is a girl” or “my girl is a dog”. this does not mean that GOD lets me get away with murder. i do anything i want to and because GOD loves me he just slaps me on the wrist.
what it means is that GOD wants what's best for you. HE's for you. HE's not against you. now if that's true, then why do so many people avoid GOD? many people avoid him like the plague. they run from him.
the reason they do that is because of a fear. they're afraid of what might happen if they really give their life to GOD. for some they are afraid that i'll have to give up my fun. in other words, to become a CHRISTian equals the party's over. to be SPIRITual is to be miserable.
we're very interested in having fun these days. television has given us a particular image of fun. which sounds like more fun to you? miller time or sunday school? television has sold us a lie that says, if you buy our product you'll be happy. i bought it and i was happy for a little while. but the thrill wore off. so i bought something else and then it wore off. or if you'll experience this particular event, or go to our concert, or visit this exotic place you'll be happy. you'll have fun!
people are frantically looking for fun fixes. it's the law of diminishing return. you find you spend more time, more money, more energy to get less and less of a thrill. you go around asking, “are we having fun yet?” so many people are looking for love in all the wrong places and they're looking for fun in all the wrong places.
think about a singles bar. have you ever seen a more phony place than a singles bar? everybody's pretending they're having a good time. where else do you walk up to a stranger and offer to buy them something? “can i buy you a drink?” do you walk up to someone in a department store and say, “can i buy you a toaster?” that's fun?
the way you fight fear is with fact and look at what the fact says: 1 timothy 6.17 (niv), GOD richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
GOD wants you to enjoy life. HE doesn't want to take your fun away. JESUS spoke more about being happy than he did about heaven. matthew 11.19 (phillips) says, JESUS came enjoying life.
fun is a clear conscious. fun is a happy, unified family. fun is laughing in church. fun is having friends who don't manipulate you because they're CHRISTians. fun is enjoying the world that GOD has made. that's fun! nobody has more fun than i do. nobody!
just a thought from the front porch…
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