For recreation to benefit us and be pleasing in Jehovah's eyes, it needs to meet specific standards set out in God's Word.
To determine whether the type of recreation that you may like, pass the standards, you might consult a simple checklist which made up with 3 question.
1. What does it include?
2. When do I pursue it?
3. Who are my companions?
FIRST, before engaging in a form of entertainment, the first question to ask yourself is What?-'What is the nature of the leisure activity to which I feel attracted? It is useful to keep in mind that in this wicked world, much entertainment is characterized by activities that flagrantly violate Bible principles or Break God's Laws. True Christians say a resolute no to all such entertainment. This includes entertainment that features sadism, demonism, homosexuality, pornography, or violence or that glorifies other vile, immoral practices.
Before choosing entertainment, we should carefully compare the activity with Jehovah's view of what is wholesome, as expressed in the Bible principles.
'What' reveals much about our inclinations - what we find acceptable and what we find unacceptable.
"Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things" - Philippians 4:8
SECOND, - When will I engage in recreation? How much time will I spend on it? Answering this reflects our priorities in life - what we find important and what we find unimportant.
If pursuing a form of recreation will mean neglecting such important activities as personal study, family worship, attending Christian meetings, or sharing in Kingdom preaching, it is not worth the price. But if an occasional leisure activity energizes us to keep on pursuing Kingdom interests, we may well decide that the time we spend on that type or recreation is worthwhile.
"Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you" - Mathew 6:33
THIRD and lastly question to ask oneself is, Who? - Who are the ones I want to share my leisure activities with? It is important to consider this aspect because the quality of our recreation is greatly influenced by the quality of our companions.
Just as eating a meal is usually more pleasurable when you do in the company of good friends, likely, to make sure that an activity will be beneficial, it is wise to determine in advance what sort of individuals to choose as companions and what sort to avoid.
"He that is walking with wise persons will become wise, but it is something detestable to the stupid ones to turn away from bad" - Proverbs 13:20
As we briefly considered three aspects of entertainment - quality, quantity, and company. to be beneficial, our entertainment needs to match closely the Bible-based standars for each of these aspects. Hence, before engaging in a form of recreation, we need to put it to the test. When it comes to quality, wholesome or debased? (Prov. 4:20-27) Regarding quantity, we want to find out : How much time would I spend on it? Is the amount appropriate or not? (1 Tim. 4:8) And concerning company, we need to determine: With whom will I share in entertainment? Are such companions good or bad? (1 Cor. 15:33)
If a form of entertainment fails to meet the Bible-based standards in any one of these three aspects, it does not pass the test. On the other hand, if we make sure that our leisure activities meet the Bible-based standard in all three aspects, our recreaction will bring honor to Jehovah God and benefits to us.
So, then, when it comes to recreation, let us strive to do the right thing at the right time and with the right people. May it be the heartfelt desire of each of us to follow the Bible's advice: "Whether you are eating or drinking or doing anything else, do all things for God's glory." - 1 Corinthians 10:31
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