How can I glorify God in everything I do but still have fun in the process?
Question:
I'm a 14-year-old guy. Most guys like to play sports, games, computers, etc. Well when I'm taking part in these activities, I'm thinking to myself, “stop idolizing this stuff, you could be reading the Bible instead." In other words, whenever I am doing something fun, it feels like I should be reading the Word instead. I want to do something when I'm an adult that would bring people to God. Like playing basketball. Have you heard of Jeremy Lin? He is playing basketball to have fun, but he is also doing it to glorify God. I just want to be able to do something and say I'm doing this for God. This is hard to do when video games are for satisfying fantasies. Well, sort of, at least for pleasure, I suppose. I feel like I'm leaving Jesus in the dust when I'm having fun. Reading the bible is just a tad bit boring. Don't get me wrong, it's very interesting, and I love it. But it's boring to read anything in general. I guess my real question is how can I glorify God in everything I do but still have fun in the process?
Any response will be great. I'll answer anything I didn't say clearly.
Thanks once again!
Answer:
"Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity" (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10).
There is nothing wrong with having fun and enjoying yourself, so long as your choice of fun is not sinful.
What gives glory to God is when you put God's teachings into practice in your life.
"If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen" (I Peter 4:11).
"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 6:20).
"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Colossians 3:17).
There are a lot of people in the world who never consider the morality of different situations, so when your friends all want to do something that is wrong but you decline, then you show them that you are different and if they ask why, you can tell them that this isn't what God wants. That is giving God the glory.
Implied in that is that you know what God wants, so that does mean learning God's teachings, but it doesn't mean that is all you do. What you learn has to be applied in all aspects of life.
"Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God" (Ecclesiastes 2:24).
"I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor -- it is the gift of God" (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13).
"So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 8:15).
"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand" (Philippians 4:4-5).
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (I Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Don't let your desire to be righteous make yourself miserable. If you do, then you've completely missed the fact that God teaches us how to get more from life by being righteous than the wicked are able to get from their sins.
