Are Christians allowed to have fun?

Should Christians have fun? Are Christians allowed to have fun? Does God want Christians to have fun?

This is a question that many Christians ask themselves every day. Does God want me to go see that movie, listen to that song, or go to that dance? Does He actually care?

2 Samuel 6:14-15 says, "David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets."

Well, if David was allowed to dance, are modern day Christians allowed too? What about laughing? Shouldn’t Christians be solemn and stern, all the time?

The book of Ecclesiastes says, ‘There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.'


Okay, so God gives us times to laugh and dance, as well as weep and mourn. That sounds pretty fair!

But are Christians allowed to sing? Surely the sound of our high-pitched caterwauling doesn’t glorify God!

Isaiah 35:10 says, “And the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

Job 38:7 “while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”

Okay, so maybe singing isn’t all that bad. But what kind of songs should we sing?


Psalm 126 “When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were lime men who dreamed. Our moths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

God glorifies in songs of joy and praise. He wants us, his children, to be glad and joyful.

Then, there is the matter of instruments. Is it sinful to play instruments?

1 Samuel 18:6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes.”

If the women of Israel were allowed to serenade David with tambourines and lutes, surely we can accompany our hymns with pianos, flutes, violins, and the like (also, the beautiful music could mask our otherwise not so lovely singing).

And then there is the matter of drinking. Is it lawful for obedient Christians to enjoy a glass of alcohol?

Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now what God favors you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-----all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.”


Right here, in the Bible, it tells Christians to drink their wine with a joyful heart! Keep in mind, also, that Jesus Himself drank wine on numerous occasions. His first miracle, in fact, was turning water in to wine!!!!
Our Communion, in fact, includes the drinking of wine. Surely Jesus would not have said of wine, ‘This is my blood, drink it’ if he thought wine was sinful!

Now, of course, everything is good in moderation. Excessive drinking can lead to drunkenness, which leads to many other insightful sins.

Proverbs 23:20-21: Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Ephesians 5:18 says, Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

God does not want the enjoyment of wine, food, and sleep to cloud our minds. He wants us to focus on Him, while still enjoying the bounty He has given us. He wants us to glorify Him in everything we do, see, hear, or say.

To finish, here is a verse which I think about sums up this entire presentation on ‘Christian fun’:

Ephesians 5:19-20: Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

AMEN!!!!!!