Are You Serious?

Paul instructed his younger friend Titus, "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned" (2:7, 8).

One word stands out to me every time I read that text. I'm talking about the word seriousness. J. B. Phillips translates this passage, "In all your teaching show the strictest regard for truth, and show that you appreciate the seriousness of the matters you are dealing with." Instead of "seriousness," other translations use words like "dignity" and "reverence."

How much seriousness do we see these days among the people of God? Are we serious about worship? Do we mean it when we pray, "Not my will by yours be done"? Are we serious when we sing, "Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold"? If we are really serious about evangelism and missions, then why is the Great Commission the great omission in so many churches?

Don't misunderstand. Seriousness doesn't require us to be sour, grumpy, and pessimistic. The Bible says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine" (Proverbs 17:22), and sometimes a good laugh is just what the doctor ordered. The same apostle who urged "seriousness" also said to "rejoice in the Lord always" (Philippians 4:4). Good-natured humor abounds in healthy personalities and in healthy churches.

But serving God is serious business. A firefighter shouldn't become too casual when the lives of others are at stake. A surgeon must never become over-confident and careless no matter how many times she performs an operation. What could be more serious than the status of the soul?

We must take God seriously because he takes us seriously. Jesus humbled himself, shared in our humanity, and gave his life on the cross "so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death" (Hebrews 2:14, 15). Death is serious business.

We must take God seriously because we are accountable to him for our actions. "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13).

We must take God seriously because our eternal destiny lies in his hands. "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people" (Hebrews 9:27, 28).

We must take God seriously because he deserves our best effort and our wholehearted devotion. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). Jim Collins' book Good to Great became a best-seller because it challenged leaders to take their enterprises beyond merely acceptable performance to sustainable and lasting growth. If it's important for business leaders to move from "good to great," then why is it acceptable for servants of Almighty God to be content with "not so good to mediocre"?

We must take God seriously because he is holy—"a consuming fire" who deserves to be worshiped "acceptably with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28, 29).

We must take God seriously because reverence for him moves us to serve others in need. "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased" (Hebrews 13:16).

Aristotle once said, "No human thing is of serious importance." But he was wrong on this point. Seriously, seriously wrong.