I live with one of the funniest and "funnest" people I know, my wife. Her freedom in Christ has continually liberated her to live life to the fullest in every way. She loves the outdoors whether it's running, hiking or taking a whitewater rafting trip. She's our "go to" person for fun and adventure. Yet, she is also very happy to be a loyal wife and loving mom in our home. And she has fun sharing Christ with people she cares about.
One time, when our kids were pre-teens, she took us on an adventure in Tennessee to a hidden waterfall. We were hiking with our canteens and soon had to ask for help from a lineman out in the middle of nowhere because we were lost. He directed us to the correct trail and when we got to the waterfall, wow! It was breathtaking and loads of fun as we were able to walk under it and swim in the water with the little fish biting our toes. That scene is etched in all of our memories as one of the most fun times in our family.
Galatians 5:1 states, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free..." That includes having some fun in life. I hope we understand that grace means life doesn't always have to be so serious.
When my boys were into paintball several years ago, I asked for a paintball gun for Christmas. After I got it, we went to a large field near our home with a bunch of their friends and split into teams. My guys were so excited that I was on the opposing team. They couldn't wait to shoot me but I also couldn't wait to shoot them. At one point, I was laying flat on the ground trying to hide behind a clump of tall grass. The paintballs from my boys were whizzing all around me and I was returning fire. They finally got me. What a blast! I will never forget how much fun we had.
I was counseling a pastor one time that was experiencing a lot of freedom in Christ but he was still burning out. I suggested to him that part of his freedom in Christ was to have some fun. He soon took up golf and enjoys playing it at least once a week to this day. He has since thanked me for helping him appreciate this aspect of his freedom in Christ.
Maybe you are not into the outdoors or sports but you can still enjoy your freedom in Christ by having some fun. Some of my staff told me recently that when they were growing up, their families played all kinds of card games because they really couldn't go outside a lot to play during the cold snowy winters. As they recounted this to us, a big smile came over them. It made me want to learn some of their card games which I had never heard of. Who knows, maybe we will have a staff UNO tournament (one card game I do know how to play.)
My wife encouraged me a while back to run trails with her. I had just started jogging and had always walked or jogged on the road. I just couldn't understand what the big deal was about running trails - until I went with her a few times. Now I'm hooked. I have so much fun running trails that the road seems boring now.
Does your freedom in Christ include having some fun? If not, I encourage you to take a risk and enjoy life a little. Search for some things that will be fun for you to do, hopefully with at least one other person. Pray about it. In fact, I'm so excited about writing this, I think I'll go run a trail!
Live Free In Christ,
Mark Maulding, President and Founder
www.GraceLifeInternational.com
All Content Copyright © 2013 Mark Maulding
One time, when our kids were pre-teens, she took us on an adventure in Tennessee to a hidden waterfall. We were hiking with our canteens and soon had to ask for help from a lineman out in the middle of nowhere because we were lost. He directed us to the correct trail and when we got to the waterfall, wow! It was breathtaking and loads of fun as we were able to walk under it and swim in the water with the little fish biting our toes. That scene is etched in all of our memories as one of the most fun times in our family.
Galatians 5:1 states, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free..." That includes having some fun in life. I hope we understand that grace means life doesn't always have to be so serious.
When my boys were into paintball several years ago, I asked for a paintball gun for Christmas. After I got it, we went to a large field near our home with a bunch of their friends and split into teams. My guys were so excited that I was on the opposing team. They couldn't wait to shoot me but I also couldn't wait to shoot them. At one point, I was laying flat on the ground trying to hide behind a clump of tall grass. The paintballs from my boys were whizzing all around me and I was returning fire. They finally got me. What a blast! I will never forget how much fun we had.
I was counseling a pastor one time that was experiencing a lot of freedom in Christ but he was still burning out. I suggested to him that part of his freedom in Christ was to have some fun. He soon took up golf and enjoys playing it at least once a week to this day. He has since thanked me for helping him appreciate this aspect of his freedom in Christ.
Maybe you are not into the outdoors or sports but you can still enjoy your freedom in Christ by having some fun. Some of my staff told me recently that when they were growing up, their families played all kinds of card games because they really couldn't go outside a lot to play during the cold snowy winters. As they recounted this to us, a big smile came over them. It made me want to learn some of their card games which I had never heard of. Who knows, maybe we will have a staff UNO tournament (one card game I do know how to play.)
My wife encouraged me a while back to run trails with her. I had just started jogging and had always walked or jogged on the road. I just couldn't understand what the big deal was about running trails - until I went with her a few times. Now I'm hooked. I have so much fun running trails that the road seems boring now.
Does your freedom in Christ include having some fun? If not, I encourage you to take a risk and enjoy life a little. Search for some things that will be fun for you to do, hopefully with at least one other person. Pray about it. In fact, I'm so excited about writing this, I think I'll go run a trail!
Live Free In Christ,
Mark Maulding, President and Founder
www.GraceLifeInternational.com
All Content Copyright © 2013 Mark Maulding
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