The Oscar-winning movie Gladiatorentertained many people with its special effects and, at the same time, reminded its viewers of the powerful Roman Empire and the barbaric way people entertained themselves almost two thousand years ago. Yet, the truth is, people have not changed much since then. Many today actively seek to have their senses stimulated by things outrageous and bizarre. One of the main differences today is that movie and TV screens are our "colosseum." As in the past, people today don't seem to worry if the price of "having fun" is dangerous, painful, unhealthy or even lethal. When it comes to the pursuit of entertainment, it seems that little matters but the experience of pleasure and excitement itself.

Defining "fun"

Fun can be defined as a pleasurable experience, enjoyable occupation or an activity that involves amusement or pleasure. But what do we view as fun? The answer will likely depend on our age, because what's pleasant and fun for a child is not necessarily entertaining and fun for a teenager or an adult. What people consider fun often changes with age and maturity.

Pleasure and fun today

There are infinite ways to feel excitement and pleasure, and to have fun. Some people would rather go to a movie than hang out with friends or go dancing. Others care more about doing what's "cool" according to their peers, no matter whether it is goodor badfor them. It all depends on what motivates us.

Today, many engage in excessive drinking, raves, clubbing and mosh-pits, drugs, sex, video entertainment and other activities to meet their lust for stimulation, distraction and their definition of fun. But, what are the possible effects of these fun activities? Should fun come with a price—a penalty?

We live in a world where money, technology and sensual pleasure rule. When these factors combine, people are given an infinite number of choices on how to spend time and be entertained. Unfortunately, it seems that human nature always manages to find the most risky and damaging ways to accomplish this.

Risking "forbidden fruit"

Why would anyone choose to harm himself? The answer lies in words such as lust and the attraction to do what is forbidden. Since we were young children, most of us have felt curiosity about those things that were prohibited. In that sense, our minds didn't change much as we grew up. If we go back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, it becomes obvious that Satan has always played an important role in influencing our conduct by tempting man to explore the forbidden. In Eden it was "forbidden fruit"—fruit God told them not to eat (Genesis 3:1-8).

Satan often mixes good and bad, truth and lies, pleasure and harm. It is up to us to discern, with God's guidance, those activities that are truly fun—ones without harmful results. There are times when we need to anticipate a potentially harmful situation and avoid it and other times when we need to exercise courage and leave an activity that has turned bad.

Fortunately, if we serve God, we can understand and have much of the veil removed that blinds this world and entices them to make unwise, destructive decisions (2 Corinthians 4:4). This does not mean that because we are striving to serve God, we will never make mistakes. But it does mean that we can have a biblically-developed and guided consciencethat will allow us to distinguish between what is truly right and wrong. When we live godly lives, we have the responsibility to choose the experiences and pleasures that bring lasting, positive effects and skip those with long-term damaging effects.

Long term vs. short term

We know that we are responsible for our actions and that we will be judged accordingly. However, reality is that we all like to have fun and God has never said in the Bible that having fun is a sin—provided our amusement doesn't break His law. Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 warns us, "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."

Clearly, God wants us to enjoy the youthful days of our lives. We have opportunities for learning, friendships and travel that are unique to this exciting time. However, God gives warning that there are limits for our own good. As He said, "remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh." He wants us to consider the end results of our actions.

Fun is what you make it

 As previously noted, fun is closely related to that enjoyable sensation called pleasure. This sensation can have a positive as well as a negative connotation. We must learn how to feel pleasure in a positive way—without harming ourselves or those around us. The Church gives us plenty of opportunities to accomplish this, through summer camps, socials and other activities where we meet people with our same beliefs.

Through the Church we can make friends and incorporate them into our social group. We can share healthy ways to have fun that will not leave us with regrets. However, even though this may sound simple and sensible, it takes a while for many to understand it. Being young in this present age is not easy. Temptations surround us and it is hard to go against the flow.

Our minds often find ways to justify our behavior and many times we don't even realize when we've fallen. The best solution is to have fun with friends who share the same Christian values—friends, incidentally, who will also stick with us through difficult times andtell us when we are headed in the wrong direction (Proverbs 27:6, 9).

We need to look for healthy relationships with people who will encourage us to live godly lives. Some of our suggestions for fun with no-regrets include: camping out, playing cards or games with a group of friends, sharing a meal with others, barbecuing with friends, playing tennis, volleyball or other sports. There are many other good options to choose from—just be sure they are based on right principles.

True fun is when you can have a great time and not have heartaches or headaches the next day. Fun times are when you can look back at the event after a year, five years or 25 years and have no regrets for your actions. For additional information on making life better, read our free booklet, Making Life Work. YU