All young people would like to be happy; it is important, however, to distinguish worldly happiness from the Christian one.

Young people are privileged to refresh their spirit and strengthen their bodies with innocent recreation, with the purpose of using their physical and mental strength to the glory of God. We must differentiate between recreation and amusement. Recreation provides refreshment for mind and body, enabling us to return with new vigor to the earnest work of life. Amusement, on the other hand, is sought for the sake of pleasure and is often carried to excess; it absorbs the energies that are required for useful work and thus proves a hindrance to life’s true success. Let us remember that we cannot unite ourselves with worldly, amusement-loving people and, at the same time, be able to resist temptation.

In Titus 2:6–8, the apostle Paul exhorts young people to sobriety. God invites us to renounce every bad custom, to be diligent, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, This is more important today than ever before, as the world’s corruption escalates and the prevailing influence of society is for young people to follow their natural, carnal tendencies without regard to principle. See 2 Timothy 3:1–5.

The Spirit of Prophecy warns us concerning the unfortunate age in which we are living—especially the young. The current trend is to allow the youth to follow the natural turn of their own minds, making it hard for them to resist the worldly influences often perpetuated even by some who profess to believe the present truth. The majority of nominal Christians, while they profess to be living for Christ, are really living for the world. Since Christianity is considered honorable, people like to claim they are Christians, yet many do not discern genuine religion and do not restrain themselves from taking part in worldly pleasures. Flattering themselves that they are engaging in innocent amusement, many are separating themselves from God and becoming children of the world. Let us remember that God does not recognize the pleasure-seeker as His follower. Those only who are self-denying, living lives of sobriety, humility, and holiness are true followers of Jesus. And such do not enjoy the frivolous, empty conversation of the lover of the world.

The true followers of Christ will shun places of worldly amusement because they find no Jesus there, no influence which will make them heavenly-minded and increase their growth in grace. Obedience to God’s Word will lead them to come out from all these things and be separate. “By their fruits ye shall know them” describes well what Christ said about real Christians (Matthew 7:20)! Jesus, who has chosen His people out of the world, requires them to be separate from the world! To love God and keep His commandments is far away from loving the world’s pleasures and its friendship. The youth who follow Christ have a warfare before them; they have a daily cross to bear in coming out of the world and imitating the life of Jesus. But there are many promises for such who seek the Saviour early, including Proverbs 8:17 and 1 Peter 1:13–15.

Every youth should ask himself or herself: what influence will this particular amusement have on my physical, mental, and moral health? Will my mind become so infatuated as to forget God?

The most dangerous pleasures of our time include the cinema, the circus, gambling, frivolous conversations, bad reading material, and the vast majority of what is found on television. But if we must renounce everything, how can young people be happy? In reality, worldly amusements don’t make us happy! That is only an illusion. In Ecclesiastes 2:26, Solomon tells us that it is God who gives joy to man. Peter repeats that in Jesus only can real happiness be found (1 Peter 1:8).

“Let us never lose sight of the fact that Jesus is a wellspring of joy. He does not delight in the misery of human beings, but loves to see them happy.

“Christians have many sources of happiness at their command, and they may tell with unerring accuracy what pleasures are lawful and right. They may enjoy such recreations as will not dissipate the mind or debase the soul, such as will not disappoint and leave a sad after-influence to destroy self-respect or bar the way to usefulness. If they can take Jesus with them and maintain a prayerful spirit, they are perfectly safe.

“Any amusement in which you can engage asking the blessing of God upon it in faith will not be dangerous. But any amusement which disqualifies you for secret prayer, for devotion at the altar of prayer, or for taking part in the prayer meeting is not safe but dangerous.”—The Adventist Home, p. 513.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11).

The Spirit of Prophecy presents these questions to us: “Are our recreations such as to impart moral and spiritual vigor? Will they lead to purity of thought and action? Impurity is today widespread, even among the professed followers of Christ. Passion is unrestrained; the animal propensities are gaining strength by indulgence, while the moral powers are constantly becoming weaker. Many are eagerly participating in worldly, demoralizing amusements which God’s word forbids. Thus they sever their connection with God and rank themselves with the pleasure lovers of the world. The sins that destroyed the antediluvians and the cities of the plain exist today—not merely in heathen lands, not only among popular professors of Christianity, but with some who profess to be looking for the coming of the Son of man. If God should present these sins before you as they appear in His sight, you would be filled with shame and terror.

“And what has caused this alarming condition? Many have accepted the theory of the truth who have had no true conversion. I know whereof I speak. There are few who feel true sorrow for sin, who have deep, pungent convictions of the depravity of the unregenerate nature. The heart of stone is not exchanged for a heart of flesh. Few are willing to fall upon the Rock and be broken.”—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 218.

“Happiness that is sought from selfish motives, outside of the path of duty, is ill-balanced, fitful, and transitory; it passes away, and the soul is filled with loneliness and sorrow; but there is joy and satisfaction in the service of God; the Christian is not left to walk in uncertain paths; he is not left to vain regrets and disappointments.If we do not have the pleasures of this life we may still be joyful in looking to the life beyond. “But even here Christians may have the joy of communion with Christ; they may have the light of His love, the perpetual comfort of His presence. Every step in life may bring us closer to Jesus, may give us a deeper experience of His love, and may bring us one step nearer to the blessed home of peace. Then let us not cast away our confidence, but have firm assurance, firmer than ever before. ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us,’ and He will help us to the end (1 Samuel 7:12).”—Steps to Christ, pp. 124, 125.