Dr. Frank Calsbeek (Ed.D.) is the writer of this article, “Seek First the Kingdom-in Recreation,” the third article in THE OUTLOOK’S series on Seek First the Kingdom. Dr. Calsbeek is Associate Professor and Coordinator of Health Education at Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.

Prior to assuming his position this fall in Texas, Dr. Calsbeck served for eleven years as Athletic Director at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa. While at Dordt, Dr. Calsbeek was active in a number of community projects, served as an elder at the First Christian Reformed Church, and was delegated twice to attend the meetings of Synod. He has done post-graduate study at University of Illinois, the University of Oslo (Norway), and the University of Oregon.

Recreation is somewhat like beauty. It has no universal definition or meaning. Beauty, it is said, exists in the eye of the beholder. What is beautiful to one person may represent real ugliness to someone else.

Recreation, likewise, has no single form. Its content is determined by the attitude and personality cf the person experiencing it. What is one person’s delight may be sheer drudgery to another. Hiking with bulging pack may be fun and recreation for the faithful Sierra Club member. Not necessarily so for the postman who also takes daily hikes, carrying a weighty pouch of mail. C. Ott Romney in Off the Job Living notes that “Recreation is not a matter of motions–but rather emotions. It is a personal response, a psychological reaction, an attitude, an approach, a way of life.” Recreation may be as brief as a fleeting thought or a spontaneous smile. But it may also be a symphony, a grandchild, a book, a roaring engine, a crackling fire, a fish on the line.

Leisure-time experience – Obviously, recreation must take place during our leisure time. Leisure is that time which remains after work, eating, sleeping, and caring for personal hygiene—all actions that are needed for survival. Leisure is free time with options. It is discretionary time when a person has freedom to choose as he pleases.

Prisoners, hospitalized patients, unemployed ghetto dwellers, and cerhin retirees have large b!ocks of free time. For them, however, there are few options. Recreation during enforced leisure is difiicuit at best. Recreation is most meaningful when contrasted with work. No job, little joy! Even playing children soon tire of continuous fun and recreation without the challenge of responsibilities.

Voluntarily chosen – Recreation must be voluntarily chosen by the participant, and then without compulsion or pressure by others. Have you ever attempted to schedule or program a recreation experience for children which didn‘t interest them? Seldom does it work well Status–conscious parents who have purchased an expensive toy become annoyed when their children ignore it, choosing instead a free cardboard shipping crate. Recreational decision–making, regardless of its minuteness, is determined by our immediate interests and desires.

Inherent in all recreation is the enjoyment and immediate satisfaction that the participant experiences. Work’s reward is too frequently expressed in money alone. Recreation is its ovm paymaster. It carries its own reward. Recreational enjoyment and pleasure motivate us to seek out the activity again. The reward is intrinsic in the actual doing of the activity and our view of it. A “good” golf game is enjoyable until we become so distraught with poor performance that we hurl our club into the pond which a few moments earlier posed such a delightful challenge. How rapidly that pleasure disSipates as our last signatured golf ball (a gift from the kids) settles to the murky bottom.

To sum up so far, recreation is considered any leisure–time experience, freely chosen by the participant, which provides immediate satisfaction and pleasure.

Calvinists work-oriented – Calvinists generally have been very work-oriented. (Work has become even ritualized in the minds of some.) Legitimate work is often –and rightly –described as our “calling.” Traditionally, our emphasis has appropriately been on work, resulting, however, in little attention to leisure.

Leisure, today, is affecting us more than we care to admit. Our affluent, automated society is fast chllnging our perspective on work. The trend toward more flexible working hours, three-day weekends, and longer, more frequent vacations is subtly changing most of us. Even housewives, liberated by laborsaving gadgets, have more flexible time segments during the day, when they can schedule their leisure precisely when they want it.

Sincere Christian living embodies seeking first the Kingdom of God in all areas, including recreation. However, usually recreation has been relegated to the position of a stepchild. It demands prayerful inquiry and an occasional sermon, followed by dedicated application, to achieve a wholesome, Biblical approach.

Practical implications – What does seeking first the Kingdom in recreation really involve? What are some of the practical implications? The following suggestions are an attempt to verbalize a few of them. They are intended to reflect the basic definition of recreation presented earlier.

1. Central in the Kingdom is the Christian family. The concept of the covenant is basic and strategic. When seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness in recreation, a conscious effort must be made to have recreation strengthen and unify the family in Christ. Often recreation is the source of conflict between parents and children: it divides and detracts from family solidarity. Parents, it seems to me, have to be more involved in the recreation process with each of their children, from infancy on. Older children frequently complain about the recreational rigidities that parents imposed upon them, when they notice a new permissiveness toward their younger brothers and sisters.

Apparently, some churches too have overlooked the valuable contribution recreation can make in solidifying the body of believers.

Earlier it was indicated that recreation must be personally chosen. This in itself has a tendency toward separating the recreational endeavors of various  family members. Personally, I’d like to see Christian families set aside one night a week for purposeful family recreation planned with a variety of recreational choice.

Recently, there appeared an advertising slogan calling to our attention that “Families that pray together stay together.” A sequel to that ad was suggested by the changing of only one letter: “Families that play together stay together.” Recreational involvement as families, within the context of seeking first God’s Kingdom, is enhanced through meaningful Scripture study and prayer.

2. Recreational choice with its wide range of freedom is a frequent source of conflict in seeking first the Kingdom, however. It places heavy demands upon our spiritual sensitivity and Christian maturity. Our voluntary choice does make a difference. Born–again Christians need to exercise more discernment when deciding on recreation. Sunday, a Holy Day, is becoming more homogenized with the activities of the week. Christians have to consider this. Many recreational forms become a curse to us through our failure to seek first His Kingdom by keeping His day holy. 3. Good stewardship is also important when seeking first the Kingdom in recreation. Time, money, and natural resources should all be viewed as God’s gifts.

The good steward weighs carefully the proportion of work time to leisure-recreation time in any given season. The ratio of earnings to recreational money spent should he budgeted prayerfully. It must first include an adequate provision for the Kingdom enterprises of home, church, and Christian school. Recreational use of natural resources involves a keen awareness of our Creator God and the balance He has placed in nature and requires that we be careful not to upset or unduly disturb those relationships. Although we are all different and have varying recreational needs and interests, our recreation should never develop into a stumbling block for others.

Pleasure is a vital component of recreation. Pleasure is like a snowball—or popcorn. The more we get, often the more we want. Instant pleasure is very accessible to us nowadays in a variety of ways.

The kind of pleasure we seek is often a gauge or barometer indicating our spiritual commitment and maturity. From what do we get our greatest pleasure? What gives us our biggest kicks? Kingdom-conscious Christians must observe that recreation may be negative as well as positive . .It can be harmful to our spiritual life as well as uplifting and positive. It can be either idolatrous or God–honoring.

4. Perhaps more of our recreational satisfaction and pleasure should be found in helping others. Should Christians selfishly use the bulk of their leisure time solely for themselves? Volunteer service holds much promise for worthy use of leisure time. Helping others is a splendid way for Christians to spend God–given leisure! It can bring happiness to others and joy to our soul as we praise our Redeemer by acts as well as by words.

To seek first the Kingdom of our God and His Christ in recreation is not simple or easy. Moreover, our recreational choices tell others who we really are. Our joys and pleasures indicate to Whom we actually belong.