All throughout elementary and middle school, we were constantly asked about our hobbies. It was the routine ice breaker for the first day of school. We all had hobbies, too. Mine personally were drawing, reading, and sewing (I know, I was so cool). But when was the last time I really drew? And how often do I read leisurely?
It seems like as we get older, we lose a part of ourselves without even truly noticing. Hobbies were who we were as kids — its how we spent a majority of our time. However, in high school I had less time to spend on the things I loved doing, and in college, I can pretty much forget about it. I can only imagine how it will be with a job. I mean, when was the last time you spent hours doing something you've always loved?
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I know when I finally spend time sewing, reading, or drawing, I instantly relax. Hobbies serve as a wonderful stress reliever. My mind no longer stresses about whatever is going on in the world; instead, it focuses on the task at hand. I can escape stress from school by spending time on my hobbies. Why did we ever stop having fun like when we were kids?! Kids know how to have fun!
Not only can our hobbies serve our own needs, but more importantly they can possibly serve others' needs. God blesses us with gifts, and often I think he tells us what those gifts are through our interests. So what if he blessed us with abilities we called hobbies as kids, but now that we are adults, we ignore those gifts? God commands that we use the gifts he graciously blessed us with to help others. 1 Peter 4:10 states, "God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another."
If your hobby is reading, you could read to the elderly. If your hobby is dancing, you could lead a free dance class to a group of kids with hard family situations. If your hobby is painting, you could paint things for people going through struggles. The possibilities to serve are endless.
If our hobbies can help us relax, and they can serve others, then we should keep up with them. Hobbies never looked so good.
