I read an article recently, exploring the economic growth of Bricktown, the entertainment district of Oklahoma City. The article spoke about how Bricktown may be gradually becoming “overly saturated.” Apartment complexes, restaurants, theater and music venues have all been a major part of the hot spot’s growth, both culturally and economically.
When I think of fun, I’m reminded of my Grandpa. He has a saying that I’ve heard several times growing up “We don’t ever get tired of having fun.” A phrase spoken, as if it were a royal decree, when we were to go and get ice cream or go for a burger. My siblings and I knew without a shadow of a doubt, we were about to have fun. All of the day’s boring or monotonous tasks were all soon to fade away with that simple proclamation.
So the question has to be asked. Is it possible to have “too much fun”? Is it possible to overly saturate an area of our city known to be a place for fun? Perhaps we take the question even further and apply it to our spiritual walk. Is it possible to have too much of Christ in our lives?
Instinctually, as followers of Christ, the answer is “no.” How you could have too much of Christ in your life? If anything, we crave and pray for more of Christ in our life. This, I believe, is the difference between a secular approach and a Christian approach to saturation.
In this world, we can always have too much fun. If every day I woke up to grandpa’s proverb of “…never having too much fun.” That’s exactly what would happen.
Two things eventually surface. 1) Soon the burgers and ice cream would become the boring and monotonous chores we were escaping in the first place. 2) Our time with grandpa would be completely hindered by the ugly view of the now “task-full” errands. Grandpa would be someone we avoided, instead of admired.
Galatians 5:16-17 says, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”
Our craving for Christ may be similar to the secular world for the fact that we always want more and enjoy what we receive. But praise God, the overly abundant amount of love and grace we receive can never satisfy! Overly-saturated-earthly fun is, by all accounts, attainable and self-destructive.
Saturating every corner of your life with scripture, prayer, learning more about the Gospel is our desire, our worship, and our fulfillment of faith. Cast aside earthly desires that attempt to infect the relationship with The Almighty.
“We don’t ever get tired of having fun” will always hold a special place in my life. I’m glad it has new meaning for my life with Christ. I pray that the presence of Christ never ceases to make you hungry for more.