GROW-PlayYourBest-2

When you get home from school, what is the first thing you choose to do? Maybe you grab your favorite toy or video game or ask a friend to play with you. Whatever you do, you want to have fun! God loves for his children to have fun. When you create your own game or laugh along to your favorite movie, God is smiling with you. 

God wants us to have happy hearts. He wants us to use all of the energy he gave us. So how can we play in a way that makes God glad? We can share our toys with others. We can invite someone who is alone on the playground to join a game. We can be kind if friends get upset when they lose. 

So we should have fun! Then what should we do when we are done?

When God made the world, he had fun playing with his imagination. He created the ocean, animals, people, sunsets and more. When he finished after six days of work, he rested. After we have our fun we should rest too. God watches over you when you lie down in front of the TV and when you go to bed. Sometimes we want to stay up past our bedtime, but sleep is also a gift that makes us still with God. 

The Bible says that every good and perfect gift comes from God. He takes great joy in the fun and the rest. That means we should thank God for everything that makes us happy and gives us energy for the next day. When you are in the middle of playing, take time to tell God how thankful you are for the fun you are having. When you are going to bed, thank God for rest and ask for a good night of sleep. 

Read
1 Corinthians 10:31
Everything we do can be for God’s glory. Finishing our vegetables at dinner, running around during recess and even just reading a book can make God glad. We can also do things that go against what God wants. Cheating in a game and eating a dessert your parents don’t know about don’t glorify God.

Act
When you play or rest or eat, notice God is in the room with you. How would he feel about what you choose to do? When you have fun in a way that glorifies him, he is having fun with you! When you go to bed each night, he is watching over you.

Pray
Thank God for all of the good and perfect gifts he gives you. Then, you can ask him to help you do things in a way that pleases him.

 

Guest devotional by Emma Miller, student at Grace Church in South Carolina