Are you happy? Are you having fun? Is life a delight and joy for you? If not, it can be.
Life should be fun. Life should be a happy experience. Each day should have something positive and joyful to look forward to.
Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, wrote about the workers in her home,
“The Christian Scientists at Mrs. Eddy’s home are the happiest group on earth. Their faces shine with the reflection of light and love; their footsteps are not weary; their thoughts are upward; their way is onward, and their light shines” Miscellany, p. 355.
I had a patient lamenting to me that he was raised in a religion that taught having fun was to be avoided. He was educated to believe that if you were ever having fun, you were probably doing something sinful. So, avoid having fun. Live conservatively, don’t expect much in terms of happiness, and endure, he learned.
I told him, Life is fun! God is not dour, depressed, mournful, constantly worried about committing sin, and always wagging a finger of guilt at everyone around Him warning them of impending punishment if they step out of line.
God is Love. Love is upbeat, positive, joyful, beholding all the good, supporting all the good and showering blessing on all of creation, including you and me.
I did point out that true fun is rooted in Spirit, not in matter. For instance, if an individual expected fun to come from getting drunk, that is an illusion. That type of “fun” is not fun at all. It leads to misery. Any type of sensual indulgence is going to leave one feeling lack of joy in the end, for it’s the effect of looking for happiness in all the wrong places.
Fun is not a sensual experience. It is a spiritual experience. It comes from feeling close to God, expressing Love, and learning Truth.
Fun is spiritual mindedness. It’s a quality of God that we each possess as children of God. And we are all capable of experiencing it to the fullest.
Every day lived with God is a fun day.
Live the life God has outlined for you today and enjoy every moment of it.
You have permission to have fun. Lots of it!
Oh, thank you Evan! what a wonderful lift you have given me – and I suspect many others!
Sometimes days go by that seem not to have much fun in them, but the answer is to look for joy and happiness in everything. Yesterday I was elated just watching two damselflies laying eggs in my little garden pond, and seeing the bees and butterflies that come to the various flowers. Yes, life is fun when one can stop scurrying round and just be still – and know the joy that comes from divine Love in such simple ways.
I just noticed that only part of my name appeared on my message above, so have corrected it.
In the Bible Lesson this week:
“….let those that put their trust in thee REJOICE (my caps): let them ever SHOUT FOR JOY (my caps), because thou defendest them; let them also that love thy name BE JOYFUL (my caps) in thee.”
Kind of says it all, doesn’t it? I love your subject today, Evan. “How can I keep from singing? ” is a line from one of the new hymns in the new Christian Science hymnal. Joyous day everyone!
FYI, the Bible quote is from Psalms 5:10 (KJV)
Love this! Sometimes it is hard to bring Fun into Religion as the old Christian Theology (even in Mrs. Eddy’s time) usually didn’t promote Fun, but took more of a somber view of Prayer and Church. There still is a lingering tint of Guilt and Shame that pervades a lot of Christianity and yes, even Christian Science. Where did this come from? Certainly Jesus didn’t promote Guilt in worshipping God. In fact he helped many people overcome their sense of “sin” and wake up to their true Joy in God! I think it may have come from when the Roman Empire took control of Christianity and found that they could control people by making them feel guilty. And then, the Catholic Church used guilt and confession to keep people in line. Thank Goodness we are waking up and this is all changing!
I live Martin Broones song, Be Joyful. It makes me so happy.
I am prompted to share an example of this pure joy and fun of expressing and reflecting God’s only goodness and happiness. On some delightful Sunday’s after my local CS church services a dear spiritual sister and I get together to talk and share, sometimes with treats and walks, or whatever. This last week we laughed and laughed. It was pure joy! What an amazing gift from God! Thank you God, Evan, and spiritual thinkers. Love to all. ♡♡
Thanks, Evan! Yes, I think to have fun is expressing joy which comes from God. Last year our Lecture Committee had so much fun planning our lecture. Church work doesn’t have to be somber. Joy and humor are spiritual qualities that bring lightness to all our work. That covers all kinds of work—housework, jobs, everything. Thanks.
Thank you Evan and Grace. A lovely start for every day.
“Thank you Evan.
Here’s a fun story I’ d like to share.
A neighbour of mine had returned from fishing in Lake Taupo. That’s a tourist town in the center of the North Island, New Zealand.
He saw me out in my front garden.
“Have you any lemons?. I caught four trout up at Taupo. ” he asked.
“Scout around under my lemon tree”I replied.He emerged with four lemons and expressed much joy.
Next moment he tripped and fell on my concrete path.
I immediately knew a spiritual idea has never fallen or been hurt.
“On your feet”I said.” You don’t want your wife to see you like this”I said. “Oh! No! “he replied.
He quickly got up, walked home free. I have seen him since. He’s happy and well.
“Thank you Evan.
Here’s a fun story I’ d like to share.
A neighbour of mine had returned from fishing in Lake Taupo. That’s a tourist town in the center of the North Island, New Zealand.
He saw me out in my front garden.
“Have you any lemons?. I caught four trout up at Taupo. ” he asked.
“Scout around under my lemon tree”I replied.He emerged with four lemons and expressed much joy.
Next moment he tripped and fell on my concrete path.
I immediately knew a spiritual idea has never fallen and never been hurt.
“On your feet”I said.” You don’t want your wife to see you like this”. “Oh! No! “he replied.
He quickly got up, walked home free. I have seen him since. He’s happy and well.
Last week in church our soloist sang one of the new hymns – a really up beat very happy cheerful joyful African song and she sang it in in the most free way that afterwards everyone inc me ( 1st reader) was smiling widely and the atmosphere in the room was WONDERFUL!!! This lifted the way both readers read and the way people heard the lesson too. It is wonderful that our lessons are so beautifully and relevantly put together but we cannot underestimate how important the hymn choice is in creating an atmosphere of feeling welcome at the start or focussing thought in a calm way just before the lesson is read and also of joyfulness and inclusiveness at the end of the service, which adds do much to the feeling of togetherness , love and unity. The words of course are important but the music creates an atmosphere which enhances the way the words are received. I’m very grateful for our fabulous new hymns!!!
Thank you Evan for this wonderful SpiritView – it is again a revelation for me, like nearly everytime!
My first joys in the morning are, to listen to the Daily Lift from The Motherchurch – because it is before Evan`s SV on my PC, and of course one or two hours later Evan`s so inspiring and interesting SpiritView 😉
mostly later in the day it is a joy for me to read all the comments and then to give my own comment. I love to do that with joy and fun.
Thank you all for your insightful and inspiring comments – it`s a joy to read it!
Thank you Diane, I`d like having been with you at that joyful service.
I am second reader, and it is a joy for me to read from the very lively Bible full of God`s Love seen in the prophets, disciples and of course Christ Jesus doings and healings.
Thank you God!!
How quickly laughter lightens a conversation.