Old Gold: Repost on Lightening Up & Being Serious

This is some old gold… a repost from July 8, 2008 –
“The Importance of Having a Sense of Humor & Being Serious.”

Some people take themselves too seriously and need to lighten up.

Others don’t seem to have the ability to focus and get serious.

The truth is, we need both: we need to have a great sense of humor and we need to be seriously focused.

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven… a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to grieve and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3.1, 4)

A LIGHT HEART

We, of all people, should be full of joy and fun to be around!

We’ve had our sins washed away, our destiny is secured for eternity, we have God’s Spirit in us, we’ve been given an inheritance, we have hope and we have purpose!

We have no reason to take ourselves seriously – it’s God who has made our lives good.

We should be able to laugh at ourselves and laugh with others.

FOCUSED & UNWAVERING

We should be the most focused, unwavering, determined people on the planet!

We are not confused, lost, hopeless or dismayed. We know who we are and we know what we’re here for.

We “fix our eyes” and “press on towards the goal to receive the prize.”

The kingdom is no joke to us – it is our passion and our life.

When we take the “wrong” things seriously…
We become no fun – we are religious, uptight, grumpy, judgmental, mean, policemen, bossy, small-minded and bound in tradition.

When we take the “right” things lightly…
We become worldly – slaves to our flesh, sense-oriented, undisciplined, ungodly, ineffective, hard-hearted and a bad testimony for Christianity.

Have a great sense of humor about…
Yourself, your agenda & plans, and people “stuff”.

Be serious, focused and unwavering about…
Helping others, advancing the kingdom, and God “stuff”.