playtime

Do you have time to play?

James Bryan Smith brings up a good point in Chapter 2 of his book "The Good and The Beautiful Life". He talks about playing being "a spiritual exercise that can teach us about living in the kingdom of God." One thing we experience during play is spontaneity. We come across random situations that were not planned and have to deal and cope accordingly. It brings us to a state of vulnerability, when faced with uncertainty.

In the chapter for this exercise, Smith talked about the kingdom of God, and scripture tells us that those who have a child-like faith will enter the kingdom (Matthew 18:4). Children are very dependent, and have no power to control what goes on in their lives. They are innocent, and trusting, and that is exactly how God wants us to receive Him and His kingdom. Children are able to play without worrying about what's coming next; do we know how to play? Play includes spending time with your kids, sports, wondering, laughing or taking up a hobby.

"we play because out God is good. Grace is sufficient for us. God wants us to be full of joy, and play is a way to experience the goodness of God and the richness of life."

"play is an act of self-abandonment: we stop taking ourselves so seriously and simply enjoy life."

This soul training exercise stood out to me because I never thought something as simple and fun as play could teach and show me so much about the kingdom. At the same time, it was a good reminder to not be so caught up in work, to take breaks and enjoy the goodness that comes in the life God has blessed us with. All i've been thinking about is how I can be productive, what assignments and exams are when, and what I haven't done yet. It's important to live a life that is balanced between work and play as well.

verse of the day: Matthew 18:1-4

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is thegreatest in the kingdom of heaven.