Is God Opposed to Us Having Fun in Life?

Q: My college buddies and I pull pranks on others just for fun. We enjoy movies about evil until others actually carry out the entertainment for real. Sometimes it gets us in trouble. Is God opposed to us having fun in life, and are we responsible if someone carries out an act that was just meant for fun? — F.D.

A: The word “fun” is defined as an activity that is amusing or lighthearted. The word “fun” today often describes forms of entertainment as in playing sports, watching a drama, enjoying a cookout. But many forms of entertainment, when it glorifies evil, fill hearts with trepidation. A form of comic entertainment for children does not hold adults interested, so adults often find amusement in recreational evil. The Bible calls evil activity “foolish.”

“For my iniquities have gone over my head … they are too heavy for me … because of my foolishness” (Psalm 38:4-5). That doesn’t sound so funny, does it? Sin is a serious matter! Sin means doing anything that is against the holy character of God. What we may call fun, may be an abomination in God’s eyes.

When we speak of doing something accidentally when we’ve intended all along to do it, it is a lie. When we speak of an act as a blunder, God boldly declares it to be blindness. Too often we excuse ourselves in our sins, but God convicts us and wants to save us from it. Sin is not a toy with which to play but a terror to be shunned.

The Bible tells us that whatever we do, it should be to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). If people are honest with themselves, deep down they know the answer. This is a wonderful litmus test in trying to determine if something is right or wrong.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

(c)2019 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.