'Amuse' Is NOT "to not think"

There are several web sites, mainly Christian, which redefine the word 'amuse' as "not thinking". This is unfortunate and wrong.

 I don't think that the word 'amuse' is the opposite of 'muse'. I looked it up in the dictionary and found that it came from French. So, the 'a-' is not meaning 'Not' like in Greek (e.g., a-millennial means 'not millennial'). The 'a-' instead means 'at' or 'to'. So, the French meaning is more like 'at thinking' or 'cause to think'.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=amuse

Now, I understand that there is a tendency for people to sometimes seek too much diversion, and thus to not think too seriously. But on the other hand, sometimes people can worry too much. I think Jesus was 'amusing' (getting the people to think straight) His listeners with the truth when he mentioned the lilies of the field and the birds of the air (Luke 12:27).

I believe there is a wrong assumption that serious thinking can only be good, and thus, non-serious thinking is bad. However, not only worry, but also, anger, fear, pride, and guilt are certainly serious but not necessarily good. In the bible, it mentions that God laughs or is amused (Psalms 2:4). Smiling and laughing is part of human nature. There is a time to laugh and cry (Ecc 3:4).  Amusement can lead away from God or it can lead to clearer thinking.

So, not all amusements are wrong. It's just that there is a tendency in fallen human nature to escape, to pursue vain glories. The need to be amused is exaggerated because of the effects of sin. Laughing at somebody or something other than ourselves temporarily relieves our consciences or our worries.

However, laughing at ourselves seems to be healthier. That kind of amusement happens when personal issues are dealt with. The humility here is real and lasting, not the temporary relief with distractions. Instead of escaping to minor attractions, we find our strength outside ourselves, and we can learn to lighten-up in a more lasting way. I'm not talking about hero worship, which is also temporary. What I mean is dependence on God. God's yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt 11:30).

I also wonder how the word 'music' has to do with 'muse' and thinking. Doesn't 1 Samuel show how David's harp playing helped King Saul draw his mind away from his despair of his deselection as king and his jealousy of David? Except, with Saul, the music acted more like a drug, and the evil thoughts came right back when the music went away. Perhaps, it was not just the music, but also the presence of a godly David that cheered Saul. Saul had lost the presence of God, and had gained evil thoughts. David spelled 'relief'.

So, I think the word amuse actually means to stimulate thought that is more balanced, a diversion from ones own perspective. One just has to enter "amuse" and "to not think" in a search engine to find quite a few web sites which try to redefine the word 'amuse'. However, that word is suppose to mean "to cause to think". It is my hope that people will have a reason to rethink what amusement means, not to assign it off as merely wasting time.