More of God=Less fun in life?
If you would’ve asked me 5 years ago what would be doing today, the word “church” would’ve never come up in conversation. “Church” and “religion” wasn’t attractive to me, and “religion” still isn’t today. My idea of starting to go to church was having to give up any kind of fun that I would be having in my life and start living a straight and narrow, boring life.
I still struggle today giving more and more of myself to Christ because somewhere along the way I started believing the lie that more of Christ=a BORING, structured, legalistic life. For some reason I think that when I commit more, I lose more. Those were my assumptions, but this couldn’t be anywhere farther from the truth and the life that God intends for us to live.
I found freedom in these pages of Erwin’s book Wide Awake:
Is obedience to God in conflict with enjoyment of life?
We create religions to try to stop ourselves from allowing our desires, passions, and longings to lead us on destructive paths. We create laws and rules and rituals and guidelines- not to mention throwing in all the guilt and fear we can muster. WE TRY TO CONTROL PEOPLE WITH RELIGION. But it doesn’t work that well. And there’s a reason we go back to the way we were before. There’s a reason that we go back to destructive pleasures. There’s a reason we go back to the desires and longings that hold us captive. It’s because those things seem to make life a lot more enjoyable than the life we have without them.
Which option is more attractive to you- Rules or passions? Desires or Demands? Freedom or Legalism?
Maybe this is why Christianity seems so unattractive. Would you want to sign on to something thinking “it is all down here from here. You are now on the straight and narrow, and no talk of fun for the rest of your life.”
Religion has taken over the relationship that God intended. Legalism has replaced freedom.
Our God designed us and created us to enjoy life. To dream, to live, to love, to create. I have believed the lie too long that following God means giving up everything fun and enjoyable in life. He is not trying to stop us from enjoying our life, He is restoring the joy in us that has been lost.
The scriptures say that Jesus came so that we would have LIFE and have it to the FULL. There is adventure, beauty, life, joy found in a relationship with Christ. Don’t ever believe otherwise.
Good words. I think I good prescription for anyone who doesn’t think being a Christian is a blast is to hang out on the Catalyst floor for a few days
Honestly, when I hear people talk about how unattractive Christianity is it makes me want to yell you, “Wait! It’s not about what you think it’s about – no matter what it looks like in its unattractive shell at times.” I think if you live life like you feel it right now, it will go a long way to changing that stereotype.
I completely agree Sabrina. It’s funny because before I actively started pursuing Christ, I had fun- but a different kind of fun. Not saying that my actions were inappropriate. But just that they weren’t as “full.” I kind of think of it as living in black and white. Which is totally cool. But once you realize there’s this thing called color, it just makes the experience that much better. So much more meaningful. So much richer.
All that being said, you can have fun, but sometimes it WILL be a different fun. I don’t think you have to sit at home and knit on a Saturday night. I’m also not saying that you can go out and get trashed and still be okay. I just think you need to watch yourself and be aware of situations you’re getting into. Remembering who you are and who you are representing. But still enjoying yourself. It can be done. I know you know all of this. This is also a reminder for myself
Great thoughts!!!!!! Thanks for sharing this.