Way back in December of 2009 I posted about the Volkswagen fun theory. This has been something I have been thinking about a lot lately, and it was brought back to my mind with earnest first by this interesting quote that appeared on Amy’s daily calendar last week
Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun. -George Scialabba
and then by two very innovative Volkswagen commercials that have made the scene in recent weeks, The Force and the Black Beetle. Both of these commercials are fill of innovation and fun.
I have often thought about this whole concept of the fun theory over the last 14 months. Trying to see how to apply it to my home life, my church life, and my work life. Hey 2 out of 3 aint bad – is it? Well, that would probably be ok if it wasn’t that the 1/3 that is sans fun accounts for oh 2/3 of my waking hours. It seems sometimes that we I forget that enjoyment of our days is all that we I have. There is so much to this fun theory, yet it is so incredibly easy to assume that there is something else that we are striving for. I am all for getting the job done, working hard, and producing a product that brings glory to our Lord, however, it has to so much better when there is an element of fun involved.
But unfortunately some time the creative is eaten up by the mundane, and the imagination is stymied in process and procedures. Yesterday was one of those days where I wanted to reach through the telephone and produce untold damage on some of the people of the other end. Fun.. well not really. It was actually the farthest thing from fun. I guess that could be viewed as extreme, but is was not fun and as produces a very unpleasant working experience. It shouldn’t have to be that way.
I have posted about the whole concept of work and my reliance on the writer of Ecclesiastics for a sign of hope before ( here, here and well here. Or here for the whole list), and once again I go back to the well for some direction on having fun and enjoying the days. The old man of wisdom says this
24 So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 2:24 (New Living Translation)
and in the even more contemporary Message paraphrase
24-26 The best you can do with your life is have a good time and get by the best you can. The way I see it, that’s it—divine fate. Whether we feast or fast, it’s up to God. God may give wisdom and knowledge and joy to his favorites, but sinners are assigned a life of hard labor, and end up turning their wages over to God’s favorites. Nothing but smoke—and spitting into the wind. (Ecclesiastes 2:24, The Message)
Let’s not let our God given intelligence go unused. Let us use let that intelligence have fun and let our imaginations take over. I strongly believe it will make the toil of work so different and that it will produce the satisfaction that many of us ( er me) long for each day when we head off the exchange our time for money.
Be creative, have fun , let your imagination run wild and bring glory to God.