The Fun Father

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever! Psalm 30:11-12 (ESV)

Have you, like me, ever struggled with the Bible’s depiction of our Father in heaven as a stern, not very fun Father? When we look up the attributes of God in the Bible, we find such words as Judge, Holy, and All-Powerful. Fun does not make the list. But God must be fun because I like having fun, being funny, and laughing. And I am made in His image. So are you.

These thoughts inspired me to search for the fun side of God. Here are a few of the examples I found:

• God loves a party.  Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding feast. (John 2:1-11) In the parable of the lost son, a celebration was held upon his return. (Luke 15:11-32) He tells us there is nothing better for a person to do than to eat, drink, and find enjoyment in his toil. (Ecclesiastes 2:24)
• God likes a sarcastic comment. “You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” (Matthew 23:24) “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”  (Luke 6:41) Elijah mocks the pagan worshippers by eluding that perhaps their God is too busy going to the bathroom or sleeping and can’t help them. (1 Kings 18:27)
• God does crazy things to get our attention.  In Numbers 22:28, God enabled a donkey to speak to Balaam. I hope I never cause God to send a donkey to speak to me!
• God appreciates a good dance mix.  David danced before the LORD with all his might. (2 Samuel 6:14)
• God wants us to enjoy a good laugh.  He tells us a joyful heart is good medicine. (Proverbs 17:22)
• God is planning a huge dinner party.  We will get to participate in the biggest party ever, according to Revelation 19, which foretells of the great marriage supper of the Lamb, where we will celebrate our union with God into eternity.

These are just a few examples of humor, fun, parties, dancing, laughing I found in the Bible.

There is a time for fun and a time for grief.

I would never want to be disrespectful of God or take His holy, all-powerful nature lightly. In Ecclesiastes 3, it tells us that there is a time for everything, a time to weep and a time to laugh. I have put together a short video of Ecclesiastes 3 for you to enjoy.

Appreciating Our Fun Father

If you struggle to view or enjoy the gladness of the LORD, I urge you to take a few minutes and meditate on our verse for today. Ask God to show you what it looks like to have your mourning turn into gladness. Close your eyes and picture Jesus smiling at you, laughing with you, and dancing with you.

The Lord wants to free you today. Spend some time in His presence and allow Him to do a work in your heart.

Tell your dad a joke today!

Today, as we celebrate our Fathers, the ones in our midst – and the Holy Father in heaven, I thought it would be fun to supply you with my list of top 10 Dad jokes. The free printable is at the end of this post.

Heavenly Father, we thank you that we have been made in your image, and today we celebrate you as our Father. We also thank you for our earthly fathers and ask for a special blessing today upon their lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.