Section 13—Recreation and Amusement
[362]
There is a distinction between recreation and amusement.
Recreation, when true to its name, re-creation, tends to strengthen
and build up. Calling us aside from our ordinary cares and
occupations, it affords refreshment for mind and body, and thus
enables us to return with new vigor to the earnest work of life.
Amusement, on the other hand, is sought for the sake of pleasure,
and is often carried to excess; it absorbs the energies that are
required for useful work, and thus proves a hindrance to life’s true
success.—Education, 207.
[363] Chapter 124—The Value of Recreation
Christians should be the most cheerful and happy people that
live. They may have the consciousness that God is their father and
their everlasting friend.
But many professed Christians do not correctly represent the
Christian religion. They appear gloomy, as if under a cloud. They
often speak of the great sacrifices they have made to become Christians.
They appeal to those who have not accepted Christ, representing
by their own example and conversation that they must give up
everything which would make life pleasant and joyful. They throw a
pall of darkness over the blessed Christian hope. The impression is
given that God’s requirements are a burden even to the willing soul,
and that everything that would give pleasure, or that would delight
the taste, must be sacrificed.
We do not hesitate to say that this class of professed Christians
have not the genuine article. God is love. Whoso dwelleth in God,
dwelleth in love. All who have indeed become acquainted, by experimental
knowledge, with the love and tender compassion of our
Heavenly Father will impart light and joy wherever they may be.
Their presence and influence will be to their associates as the fragrance
of sweet flowers, because they are linked to God and heaven,
and the purity and exalted loveliness of heaven are communicated
through them to all that are brought within their influence. This
[364] constitutes them the light of the world, the salt of the earth. They
are indeed savors of life unto life, but not of death unto death.
Christian Recreation
It is the privilege and duty of Christians to seek to refresh their
spirits and invigorate their bodies by innocent recreation, with the
purpose of using their physical and mental powers to the glory
of God. Our recreations should not be scenes of senseless mirth,
taking the form of the nonsensical. We can conduct them in such a
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Value of Recreation 329
manner as will benefit and elevate those with whom we associate,
and better qualify us and them to more successfully attend to the
duties devolving upon us as Christians.
We cannot be excusable in the sight of God if we engage in
amusements which have a tendency to unfit us for the faithful performance
of the ordinary duties of life, and thus lessen our relish for the
contemplation of God and heavenly things. The religion of Christ
is cheering and elevating in its influence. It is above everything
like foolish jesting and joking, vain and frivolous chit-chat. In all
our seasons of recreation we may gather from the Divine Source of
strength fresh courage and power, that we may the more successfully
elevate our lives to purity, true goodness, and holiness.
Love of the Beautiful
Even the great God is a lover of the beautiful. He has given us
unmistakable evidence of this in the work of His hands. He planted
for our first parents a beautiful garden in Eden. Stately trees were [365]
caused to grow out of the ground, of every description, for usefulness
and ornament. The beautiful flowers were formed, of rare loveliness,
of every tint and hue, perfuming the air. The merry songsters, of
varied plumage, caroled forth their joyous songs to the praise of their
Creator. It was the design of God that man should find happiness in
the employment of tending the things He had created, and that his
wants should be met with the fruits of the trees of the garden.
God, who made the Eden home of our first parents so surpassingly
lovely, has also given the noble trees, the beautiful flowers,
and everything lovely in nature, for our happiness. He has given
us these tokens of His love that we may have correct views of His
character.
He has implanted in the hearts of His children the love of the
beautiful. But by many this love has been perverted. The benefits
and beauties which God has bestowed upon us have been worshiped,
while the glorious Giver has been forgotten. This is stupid ingratitude.
We should acknowledge the love of God to us in all His
creative works, and our hearts should respond to these evidences of
His love by giving Him the heart’s best and holiest affections.
330 Messages to Young People
The Master Artist
God has surrounded us with nature’s beautiful scenery to attract
and interest the mind. It is His design that we should associate the
glories of nature with His character. If we faithfully study the book
[366] of nature, we shall find it a fruitful source for contemplating the
infinite love and power of God.
Many extol artistic skill which will produce lovely paintings
upon canvas. All the powers of the being are by many devoted to
art, yet how far short do these come of the natural. Art can never
attain to the perfection seen in nature. Many professed Christians
will go into ecstacies over the painting of an evening sunset. They
worship the skill of the artist; but they pass by with indifference the
actual glorious sunset which it is their privilege to look upon every
cloudless evening.
Where does the artist obtain his design? From nature. But the
great Master Artist has painted upon heaven’s shifting, changing
canvas the glories of the setting sun. He has tinted and gilded the
heavens with gold, silver, and crimson, as though the portals of high
heaven were thrown open, that we might view its gleamings, and our
imagination take hold of the glory within. Many turn carelessly from
this heavenly wrought picture. They fail to trace the infinite love and
power of God in the surpassing beauties seen in the heavens, but are
almost entranced as they view and worship the imperfect paintings,
in imitation of the Master Artist—The Review and Herald, July 25,
1871.
Unfitted to Resist Temptation
Do not suppose that you can unite yourself with the amusementloving,
the gay and pleasure-loving, and at the same time resist
[367] temptation.—The Signs of the Times, June 20, 1900.
Chapter 125—The Love of Worldly Pleasure
It is an alarming fact that the love of the world predominates
in the minds of the young as a class. Many conduct themselves
as if the precious hours of probation, while mercy lingers, were
one grand holiday, and they were placed in the world merely for
their own amusement, to be gratified with a continual round of
excitement. They find their pleasures in the world, and in the things
of the world, and are strangers to the Father and the graces of His
Spirit. Many are reckless in their conversation. They choose to
forget that by their words they are to be justified or condemned.
God is dishonored by the frivolity and the empty, vain talking and
laughing that characterize the life of many of our youth....
Satan makes special efforts to lead them to find happiness in
worldly amusements, and to justify themselves by endeavoring to
show that these amusements are harmless, innocent, and even important
for health. He presents the path of holiness as difficult, while
the paths of worldly pleasure are strewn with flowers.
In false and flattering colors, he arrays the world with its pleasures
before the youth. But the pleasures of earth will soon come to
an end, and that which is sown must also be reaped. Are personal
attractions, ability, or talents too valuable to devote to God, the author
of our being, Him who watches over us every moment? Are our
qualifications too precious to devote to God? [368]
The Way of Wisdom
The youth often urge that they need something to enliven and
divert the mind. The Christian’s hope is just what is needed. Religion
will prove to the believer a comforter, a sure guide to the Fountain
of true happiness. The young should study the word of God, giving
themselves to meditation and prayer. They will find that their spare
moments cannot be better employed. Wisdom’s “ways are ways of
pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”
331
332 Messages to Young People
Paul, writing to Titus, exhorts the youth to sobriety: “Young men
likewise exhort to be sober-minded. In all things showing thyself a
pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity,
sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned; that he that is
of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of
you.”
I entreat the youth, for their souls’ sake, to heed the exhortation of
the apostle. All these gracious instructions, warnings, and reproofs
will be either a savor of life unto life or of death unto death.
The young are naturally inclined to feel that not much responsibility,
caretaking, or burden-bearing is expected of them. But upon
every one rests the obligation to reach the Bible standard. The light
that shines forth in privileges and opportunities, in the ministry of
the word, in counsels, warnings, and reproofs, will perfect character,
or will condemn the careless. This light is to be cherished by the
young as well as by those who are older. Who will now take their
stand for God, determined to give His service the first place in their
[369] lives? Who will be burden-bearers?
“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” Jesus
desires the service of those who have the dew of youth upon them.
He wants them to be heirs of immortality. They may grow up
into noble manhood and womanhood, notwithstanding the moral
pollution that abounds, that corrupts so many of the youth at an
early age. They may be free in Christ; the children of light, not of
darkness.
God calls upon every young man and young woman to renounce
every evil habit, to be diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving
the Lord. They need not remain in indolence, making no effort to
overcome wrong habits or to improve the conduct. The sincerity of
their prayers will be proved by the vigor of the effort they make to
obey God’s commands. At every step they may renounce evil habits
and associations, believing that the Lord, by the power of His Spirit,
will give them strength to overcome.
Faithfulness in Little Things
Individual, constant, united efforts will be rewarded by success.
Those who desire to do a great deal of good in our world must be
Love of Worldly Pleasure 333
willing to do it in God’s way, by doing little things. He who wishes
to reach the loftiest heights of achievement by doing something great
and wonderful, will fail of doing anything.
Steady progress in a good work, the frequent repetition of one
kind of faithful service, is of more value in God’s sight than the
doing of one great work, and wins for the youth a good report,
giving character to their efforts.... [370]
The youth can do good in laboring to save souls. God holds them
accountable for the use they make of the talents intrusted to them.
Let those who claim to be sons and daughters of God aim at a high
standard. Let them use every faculty God has given them.—The
Youth’s Instructor, January 1, 1907.
Unsatisfied Longings
The continual craving for pleasurable amusements reveals the
deep longings of the soul. But those who drink at this fountain of
worldly pleasure will find their soul-thirst still unsatisfied. They are
deceived; they mistake mirth for happiness; and when the excitement
ceases many sink down into the depths of despondency and despair.
O what madness, what folly, to forsake the “Fountain of living waters”
for the “broken cisterns” of worldly pleasure!—Fundamentals
of Christian Education, 422.
Opportunities for Witnessing
If you truly belong to Christ, you will have opportunities for witnessing
for Him. You will be invited to attend places of amusement,
and then it will be that you will have an opportunity to testify to your
Lord. If you are true to Christ then, you will not try to form excuses
for your non-attendance, but will plainly and modestly declare that
you are a child of God, and your principles would not allow you to
be in a place, even for one occasion, where you could not invite the
presence of your Lord.—The Youth’s Instructor, May 4, 1893. [371]
Chapter 126—Words of Counsel
It is in the order of God that the physical as well as the mental
powers shall be trained; but the character of the physical exercise
taken should be in complete harmony with the lessons given by
Christ to His disciples. Those lessons should be exemplified in the
lives of Christians, so that in all the education and self-training of
teachers and students, the heavenly agencies may not record of them
that they are “lovers of pleasures.” This is the record now being
made of a large number, “Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of
God.” 2 Timothy 3:4.
Thus Satan and his angels are laying their snares for souls. They
are working upon the minds of teachers and students to induce them
to engage in exercises and amusements which become intensely
absorbing, and which are of a character to strengthen the lower
passions, and to create appetites and passions that will counteract
the operations of the Spirit of God upon human hearts.
All the teachers in a school need exercise, a change of employment.
God has pointed out what this should be,—useful, practical
work. But many have turned away from God’s plan to follow human
inventions, to the detriment of spiritual life. Amusements are doing
more to counteract the working of the Holy Spirit than anything else,
and the Lord is grieved....
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
[372] roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,” 1 Peter
5:8. He is on the playground, watching your amusements, and
catching every soul whom he finds off guard, sowing his seeds in
human hearts, and gaining control of human minds. He is present in
every exercise in the schoolroom. Those students who allow their
minds to be deeply excited over games are not in the best condition
to receive the instruction, the counsel, the reproof, most essential for
them.
Physical exercise was marked out by the God of wisdom. Some
hours each day should be devoted to useful education in lines of
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Words of Counsel 335
work that will help the students in learning the duties of practical
life, which are essential for all our youth.
There is need of every one in every school and in every other
institution being as was Daniel, in such close connection with the
Source of all wisdom that he will be enabled to reach the highest
standard in every line. The love and fear of God was before Daniel;
and conscious of his amenability to God, he trained all his powers
to respond as far as possible to the loving care of the great Teacher.
The four Hebrew children would not allow selfish motives and love
of amusements to occupy the golden moments of life. They worked
with willing heart and ready mind. This is no higher standard than
every Christian youth may reach.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers,
and Students, 281-284.
