Families Should Be Fun

[Families Should Be Fun]( Current Teaching Series [Awesome Relationships]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Families Should Be Fun]( By Rick Warren — 07/31/2022 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd like to share a Daily Devotional from Pastor Rick with you&body= “People ought to enjoy every day of their lives, no matter how long they live.” Ecclesiastes 11:8 (NCV) It’s the first common denominator of great families: Awesome families are playful. They know how to have fun. They enjoy life together. They know how to play. This is the missing ingredient in so many families today. These days, many families are too busy, too tired, too negative, too worn out, and too serious. Who wants to come home from school to that? Families should be fun. The Bible talks about this and actually commands it. Ecclesiastes 11:8 says, “People ought to enjoy every day of their lives, no matter how long they live” (NCV). Why is it important for you to enjoy every day? Because you don’t know how long you’re going to live. You don’t know if you’ve got the next week or the next month. You don’t even know if you’ve got tomorrow. Whatever living you’re going to do, you better do it now. You can think beyond your biological or adoptive family for this kind of fun too. If you don’t live near your family, learn to have this kind of fun in your church family. Being part of a Sunday School class or small group can give you a great opportunity to find people of all ages with whom you can enjoy life. When my kids were growing up, I determined that the number one thing I wanted them to know about our family was not that we were good or smart or whatever. I wanted them to know that they were loved and that we had fun together. I created all kinds of things to do just to have fun. One of them was called Daddy’s Magical Mystery Tour. The kids loved it. It’s a hallowed tradition in our family. Now I do it with our grandkids. When the kids were in preschool and grade school, I’d wake them up and yell, “Get out of bed! It’s time for Daddy’s Magical Mystery Tour!” And they’d get excited because they knew that meant that they didn’t have to go to school and that we were about to do something really fun, whether it was driving to a hotel with a pool or making an ice cream run. You need to keep this in mind: People don’t remember what you say, but they will remember how you make them feel. That’s important advice for a boss, boyfriend or girlfriend, parent, or spouse. My kids don’t remember most of what I said in the early years of their lives. But they do remember how Daddy made them feel. They remember that we had a lot of fun. Awesome families are playful. “I recommend having fun . . . That way [you] will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives [you]” (Ecclesiastes 8:15 NLT). [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What commitments or distractions keep your family from having fun together? - Do you focus more on what you say to your children (or the children in your life) or how you make them feel? In what ways? - What will you do today to be more playful with your family or small group? What plans will you make to give your family more space to have fun together? The post [Families Should Be Fun]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd like to share a Daily Devotional from Pastor Rick with you&body= [Get the Awesome Relationships Study Kit when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( God made us to love one another—so one of the greatest privileges in life is to build awesome relationships that reflect his love. And you can discover how with Pastor Rick’s Awesome Relationships Bible study. This 4-session DVD and workbook study shows you how to transform any relationship with a friend, family member, or spouse into a life-giving connection filled with joy and purpose. Together with Pastor Rick, you’ll explore how to . . . • Enjoy God’s amazing design for your marriage • Build a family dynamic full of grace and love • Cultivate uplifting and meaningful friendships • Develop a friendship with God that sustains you every day [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 6 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Awesome Relationships. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Fighting for an Awesome Marriage Message 2: Fighting for an Awesome Family Message 3: Making Friends for Eternity Message 4: What Destroys Relationships and What Builds Them Message 5: Finding the Love of Your Life Message 6: Becoming Best Friends with God [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? 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