What is this thing we call, FUN?

According to Webster...
–noun
1. something that provides mirth or amusement:
2. enjoyment or playfulness:

-synonym
1. Pleasure

Fun is the feeling of enjoyment that comes from an activity, person, or place that makes us feel pleasure.

The word is used many different ways in this culture and within our little spot of history.
My interest lies with how this thing that we call,"fun" stands up before Holy God, and His call to us, His followers.

In looking at my own walk, I see that fun, the enjoyment of it, and the pursuit of it, can very quickly become the most deceptive idol I will ever be tempted to worship.
It is so super sneaky, because it panders to the flesh of me, which needs little to no invitation before rising to serve itself.

The Enemy figures he can't get me to fall in the areas most Christians point to as sinful; adultery, murder, blasphemy etc, but he'll snark me into doing good things for the wrong reasons. He finds a way to entrap me into making things that should be all about Jesus all about me.
Sound familiar?

I can hear some of you, "What? Are you saying that having fun is wrong?" *scandalized expressions*

NO! Experiencing pleasure within God's design is not sin. God created us to desire and know the pleasure of Himself.
The Bible is full of scripture telling us of the great joy and pleasure we will reap as we follow Jesus, dying to self, and uniting with Him in true life. It tells us of how precious unity and edification are between believers. God made us to relate to one another, to enjoy one another.

However, the moment that the experience of pleasure becomes a desire rather than an undeserved by product of following Jesus....we fall.

How do we see this? There are many ways idol worship of fun shows itself.
In my life, at different times...these have popped up.

1) Greater desire to set aside time to experience fun over spending time with the Lord.

2) Extensive mental investment in the next great experience of fun....when will it be? who will it be with? how can I make it happen? what will I wear? =)

3) Neglect of God-given duties based on their seeming inability to give us the experience of fun.

4) Complaining of heart and mouth when we are unable to participate in something we've decided would be fun.

5) Jealousy over the fun others have experienced without us. Comparison. "She's more fun." "I had more fun with them than with her." Even if this never comes out of our mouths...it reveals misfocus.

6) Decisions made / Responses given based on the level of individual fun promised. "I'll serve where and when I will experience the most fun."

7) Relationship investment given or neglected based up on how much fun is experienced...Where you sit? Who you talk to?

The most telltale sign of all comes in how we respond to conviction over an idolatry issue with fun. When there is a quick, immediate, and extremely protective response to the thought that priorities are imbalanced in this area, idolatry is confirmed.

We show that we care more about maintaining an experience of pleasure than purifying our worship of Christ!

I've heard it argued, "Doesn't God want us to have fun." "God is fun."

First and foremost, before we ever say "God is" anything...we must confirm with the Bible.
God is good.
God is holy.
God is full of grace.
God is everywhere.
God is Awesome.
God is the Giver of Pleasure.
God is our Helper.
God is my Keeper.
The list goes on, but the word fun is a man made word...not given by God.

Jesus came to give abundant life in conformation to His likeness.
He gives great joy in the Christian's walk through fellowship with Him.
Heaven will be the absolute epitome of pleasure to be experienced. ever. and. beyond. all because He will be there.

The man made word, "fun", is a word where we have taken an undeserved fruit of following Jesus, joy, and turned it into something self-focused; something to be sought after. Something to be worshiped.

God started showing me the deceptiveness of this idol over a year ago (see points 1-7 above), and I've taken some extreme steps to purify my motives and decisions in why I do things, go places, invest in people. I continue to seek deeper purity in this area, and God is faithful to continue cleansing me.

This is the cool thing: I can honestly tell you that what I have found has astounded me....

More undeserved and pleasureful joy has been poured out on me than I imagined, or have before experienced.

There has been greater freedom in realizing that I don't NEED the experience of fun. I can just take it as it comes and praise Jesus for it!
There has been new insight that true pleasure is found in doing things for the Lord's pleasure....making that my pursuit.
There has been awakening to activities, relationships, and places I was totally missing before.

I laugh, sometimes obnoxiously so. I carry on with inside jokes which are usually super lame. I enjoy games, activities, events, and destinations (coffee shops).
I love to chase my boys around the house singing 80's love songs into my hair brush or curling iron.
I love being with people...all sorts of people...whoever God ordains I spend any given moment with.
God has been so good to me!

I am learning to experience the great joy that Jesus has given into my life - completely undeserved by me - only of His grace - as a by product of purified worship, not the experience that I pursue.

He is, His likeness, His ministry, His presence is what I chase after.
This world can have it's thing called fun, I want the pleasure of Jesus!