The following is an excerpt from the book I am currently writing called, Hardwired for Life: Art Supplies for the Mind.

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“A merry heart does good, like medicine…” — Proverbs 17:22, New King James Version (NKJV)

We must play and have fun because we will often need to refill and recover after long periods of creative activity. Creativity can be even more draining than other mental work activities because it is emotionally challenging. It’s emotional to tap into our target audience’s thoughts, feelings, and desires. It takes some intentional and serious mental gymnastics to walk a mile in our user, viewer, or reader’s shoes. We have to become someone else as we develop our craft in order to get it right. What better way to recover than to have some fun?

Creative work demands creative outlets for us to rest and reset our bodies, spirits and souls. Having fun and playing around are perfect ways to restore our energy and creative flow. When we are having fun, we are disengaged from stress, chaos and drama. The world takes a back seat when we are having fun and nothing else matters. Pain and other symptoms of dysfunction disappear during play and our bodies thrive in the rest.

When we are creative, we are drawn into the “now” moment and are able to tap into God’s power and Spirit. The same is true when we are having fun. We become childlike when we play and can find the innocence it takes to connect with God. Play needs to be creative and fun.

Play is full of joy and peace though it can take on a competitive quality that brings more stress than healing. Fun on the other hand is just fun without agendas. True strength and power come from the type of creative play that leaves us laughing and experiencing joy. Joy carries permanent healing, whereas play can be used unwisely and only holds temporary stress relief.

Using Play in Our Lives

People often use play ineffectively. Many forms of sports and hobbies are considered play. We play golf, we play football, we play tennis, etc. all of which have the stresses of technicality, strategy, and physical and mental strain. Play can become a war with ourselves and others.

We have a built-in need to play as human beings that must be satisfied. Unfortunately, we also play at war. Play that is unrighteous puts us at odds with one another. We end up playing negatively in battle with each other at all levels of government and society. We compete with political parties, we rival with fashion, and we chance our health, all in destructive ways.

The key is understanding that innate need we have to play and use it constructively for God’s Kingdom. We can use play for God’s Kingdom by getting healthy and then helping others to play effectively. We must heal in body, spirit, and soul in order to begin to make an ongoing difference in God’s Kingdom. Healing helps us to be wise about our service to God. We also become more creative when we are working from wholeness.

We will never be perfect here on earth, but we can heal enough to run our race of salvation as a winner. When we are healed, we see God’s will and plan for our lives. We can see that we are truly victorious just where we are at, and that is a priceless expression of success. When we are healed, we know that we are running the best race possible. We are co-creating with God, we are having creative fun and playing appropriately in our lives, and we are more free.