Seriously

Seriously


I've been told before "you're never serious", because I like to laugh and joke a lot, and truth to told I enjoy laughing and making others laugh.  But just because I love humor, being funny, funny things, laughter, making others laugh, etc...doesn't mean I'm not serious about certain things. I am serious when it comes to my faith. That doesn't mean I don' t fail or struggle in anyway, it simply means my eternity isn't something to joke about and not take serious.

I have noticed however, that a lot of folks don't take their salvation, eternity, Christianity, or their part in the church body very serious.  You can tell in their lack of commitment or consistency.  Being a Christian is all about totally surrendering yourself to God and becoming a devoted follower to Him. It should mean transformation for our lives. Change.  Commitment. Devotion. Service. Yet, most church I've been a part or have seen  lacks serious committed members. 

Churches are full of those who claim to be Christians and church "members" yet, they aren't consistent in their attendance, giving, or serving.  They are hit and miss and aren't consistent in their faithfulness to God and the church.  This is why churches attendance numbers fluctuate up and down because of inconsistent worshippers.  People don't give of their time, talents, or finances to the church like they should.  They are not using their gifts to serve God faithfully through the church.  People aren't willing to step up and lead. Yet, they will give all of these things to little league, their hobbies, social organization, and other things? Why? Is something temporary suddenly more important than something eternal?

I think the truth is many just don't take their salvation and faith seriously. Many think if they've been baptized or "saved" they have secured their place in heaven and they can go back to living their normal earthly lives that is primarily about them and their wants and little about God. This is the wrong attitude to have and one of the tricks satan uses to blind us to the truth and reality.  We need to take our faith serious and getting saved or baptized isn't just a free ticket to heaven at the end of your life, its only the beginning of your faith journey as you should be preparing for eternity.

We need to take our faith serious.  We need to take our church attendance/involvement  serious. We need to take our giving to God through the church serious, whether that is financially, our time, or our service.  We need to realize that while salvation is a free gift from God, it's not a free ride to heaven.  It requires us to follow Jesus daily and grow in our faith and mature into a growing Christian.  We need to take our faith more serious than we do anything else, it's not a joke. Hell isn't a laughing matter. 

If you take your faith seriously, then you'll be taking time to study your bible regularly, you'll develop a serious prayer life, you'll be a faithful member of the church and be committed to being there faithfully for services, bible study, small groups, Sunday school, worship services, special programs, or whatever your local church does.  We all take vacations and get sick and sometimes our jobs take us away but that should be the exception not the norm,  otherwise we should be committed to being involved in our local church.  So, yes going to church services, being involved in the local church, and being the church does matter and should be taken seriously.

Finally, we need to take ourselves seriously when it comes to our faith. We all have talents, resources, and abilities we can be using for God.  Why should our jobs, hobbies, or kids sports get all of our money, time, and talents and then give God little or nothing?  It really means we really don't take God or His church or salvation all that seriously or we misunderstand the importance of it all? This world we live in is temporary and while we are here for a little while, it's about being the church, serving, growing, maturing, giving, and doing for the Lord through His Church.

I pray you start taking your faith serious.  You get real about your Christianity and be faithful to God. Be faithful to His Church.  Be committed and consistent in your walk with God, and take it serious and be and remain faithful. We don't want to be like the christians God mentions in the book of Revelation. Eternity is coming, are you taking it serious?

Revelation 3:16(NIV)

¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.