Why So Serious?
I have always been a very serious, religious person, seeking position and rank wherever I could find it, to be a rockstar, admired and adored by many (I know, total B.S right!) Anything anyone said to me had to be taken very seriously and discussed with a certain attitude and I would behave in a certain way towards them if the mood got too HAPPY! A few weeks ago a good friend of mine said to me “you’ve been a very serious person Mark ever since i’ve known you, even as a teenager - why so serious?”
In the English Dictionary the word “SERIOUS” goes hand-in-hand with “SOBER”, “SOMBER” and “HUMOURLESS”. There are countless Scriptures instructing us to stay “SOBER”, not to be drunk with wine (don’t over-do it) and stay awake (in all aspects) WATCHING FOR YAHUSHA’S RETURN . . . (This is more of a private, inward discipline, not so much addressing behaviour). So let’s look at the last two words above “SOMBER” & “HUMOURLESS” and here lies where I want to discuss my BEHAVIOUR :
SOMBER (adjective):
gloomily, dark, shadowy, dimly lighted,
dark and dull, as color, or as things in respect to color,
gloomy, depressing, or dismal,
4. extremely serious; grave.
SOMBER (synonym):
bleak - dark - dull - earnest - gloomy - grim - melancholy - sedate - serious - solemn - depressing - joyless - dour - morose - unsmiling - stony-faced . . .
HUMOURLESS (adjective): lacking humour; not able to appreciate or express humour.
Religious people are known (and hated) for their SERIOUS, SOMBER behaviour - it is like a heavy wet blanket they throw on you when you’re in their company, through looks and glances of unapproval and a superior attitude that let’s you know you are not as good as them. Then they try to catch you out in your words, and lift themselves higher and higher in self-righteousness. They want to be honoured and exalted and treated a certain way and spoken to very seriously and respectfully. You can spot and feel the mood of a religious person a mile away - they are very serious and from the words above - depressing, dull, unsmiling and joyless. I don’t care what label you call yourself - to an outside or passer by in the street or to your clients or family - ARE YOU SERIOUS AND JOYLESS??? Insisting on certain rules of communication and displaying abusive behaviour of anyone dares not to comply? The religious pharisees in Yahusha’s day behaved like this - they were the guardians and keepers of all the great KNOWLEDGE of the old scrolls of Scripture - BUT HOW DID THEY BEHAVE - particularly in the presence of Yahusha Himself?
We need to face head-on brothers and sisters that we will be hated just like Yahusha was, told lies about, set-up in our words, humiliated and persecuted just as He was - AND MOST OF IT WILL BE FROM THE SERIOUS RELIGIOUS FOLK !!! Those who confess one thing while behaving another!!! Scripture tells us there is a time and a season for all things; a time for being serious/somber and a time for wonderful joy and humour.
The closest word in the Hebrew for “SERIOUS” is “REVERENT” but those Scriptures are related to how we should serve Yahusha (with fear and trembling, respect and reverence) i.e. OUR PRIVATE RELATIONSHIP WITH YAHUSHA IS VERY SERIOUS AND WE STRIVE TO PLEASE HIM IN ALL THINGS (this is how we inwardly FEEL about our walk in Yahusha - but this is not an OUTWARD behaviour!) . . . . There is the OUTWARD and there is the INWARD. Yahusha wants our attention all the time and He tells us amazing things if we listen to His voice and spend time in His Word - IT’S VERY SERIOUS ISN’T IT - OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM - VERY SERIOUS - VERY DEEP - THINKING AND WRESTLING WITH MATTERS & OVERCOMING FLESHLY HABITS - WALKING IN HIS INSTRUCTIONS - OUR JOURNEY AS HIS BRIDE IS SOO SOO SERIOUS AND IMPORTANT !!!
BUT OUR BEHAVIOUR DOESN’T HAVE TO BE SERIOUS! THE OPPOSITE OF SERIOUS IS HAPPY AND JOYFUL! DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR, EVEN A SENSE OF THE RIDICULOUS, OR IS LIFE VERY VERY SERIOUS TO YOU? WHERE IS YOUR JOY (the joy of Yahusha is our strength) . . . ???
Now let’s kick this home by looking at the younger generations who desperately need Yahusha’s deliverance and don’t even know it. Will Yahusha reach them through you being religious, self-righteous and serious? Or are people attracted to fun, happiness, joy, humour and friendship? Are you interested in reaching the lost sheep? Or are you content to study for yourself and play church (yes, even Natsarim church) all sheltered with your family? Our beloved brother Paul (who was also sent to the lost sheep) told us to BE all things to all people; if happy, rejoice with them, if sad, mourn with them - go through the times and seasons and make friends through loving-kindness, by letting them have their behaviour, not judging them and making them feel inferior to you, by not taking anything personally and getting your back-up about anything, by being offended at nothing because you know it really means nothing anyway - it’s all human nature and our higher calling is much greater than that.
WE ARE NOT CALLED TO BE RELIGIOUS AND SERIOUS, BUT QUITE THE OPPOSITE: JOYOUS AND FREE . . . and in order to reach the next generation you better put away all your wacky religious garb and stickers and posters and pretentious behaviour and stop quoting scriptures (most of which are out of context) and start loving - start laughing - stop taking the weight of the world’s sins on your shoulders - Yahusha already did that - He took it all very seriously, He suffered immeasurably and was tortured and killed on the stake FOR THE JOY THAT WOULD FOLLOW . . . you don’t need religion with all it’s bondage - ALL YOU NEED IS YAHUSHA - HIS YOKE (instructions) IS NOT HEAVY (it doesn’t make you miserable) . . .
ARE YOU IN HIS JOY - OR ARE YOU MISERABLE AND GETTNG FLOGGED ALL THE TIME???
I truly believe that one of the things we will be shocked at the most when we meet Yahusha is that He is nothing like we have been taught. Will He be sooo serious and intense and religious? Or will He be a fun-loving, hilarious and total HOOT to be around . . . He was when He walked the earth and He doesn’t change, so you do the math? This is why the religious people will hate you - HIS JOY - you can’t get it at seminary and you can’t steal it from someone else) even if you tried so hard and though you did - IT COMES FROM YAHUSHA AND HE GIVES IT FREELY TO THOSE WHO HAVE HIS FAVOUR . . .
ARE YOU FEELING HIS FAVOUR OR STILL BEING SO SERIOUS ???
Love From Mark . . . . check out the video: https://youtu.be/wX2QBzthAlQ
