I want to take a minute to talk about what it means to take something “serious”.  We have all heard that said, and probably used the word to prove our dedication to the project, commitment, or promise.  There are three specific definitions for “serious” that I want to deal with concerning leadership and growth.

1.   To be carried out in earnest. The Bible says that a …a workman is worthy of his hire (Luke 10:7).  If we are to be the integrity filled examples of Christ in our respective places of employment then we have to be consistent in carrying out our responsibilities in earnest.  Earnest means that you are working hard enough to earn the result that you are after.  I look at the life of Christ and His dedication to the work of the Lord.  His traveling, ministry and ultimate destiny were not easy, nor were they convenient.  Instructing the 12 disciples was probably a full time job in itself.  If we are to develop in the gift, position and dream that God has inspired within us, then we have to always carry things out in earnest.

2.  Not trifling or jesting. Wait, you mean that being serious about something requires me to not play and distract from work.  Trifling is when we delay the action that we are responsible for doing.  How many times do we delay an action?  How many times do we not “feel” like doing something.  As good stewards of the position, gift or dream we have to do our part to not delay our responsibility.  In work that means that where God has you,  you should be on time, you should be diligent, you should be ahead and not behind.  In the gifting of God, you should be growing closer and pursuing to develop it.  That means that you should be training, growing, reading, watching and listening to further the gift.  Let’s remember that Jesus spent 17 years preparing for the ministry that God laid out for him.  Luke 2:52  - And Jesus grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man.  In our dreams we should be laying them out, making them plain, writing them down and planning for success.  Do your part in taking this walk serious!

3.  Deeply interested or involved. I think of the time when I was working for Lake Charles Rubber and Gasket and there were many workers in the back warehouse that didn’t exactly example the Christian values that I had.  I would get teased and made fun of, they would even try to get me to cuss.  It is all humorous now, but I remember the struggle between wanting to be relevant and wanting to be the right example.  I thought I was failing, but God kept reminding me to love, love, love.  So I did.  I would ask them how their family was doing… and then they would jest.   I would ask how they were feeling after missing days of work… and they would jest.  But I kept interested and involved.  One day a salesman came to the back of the warehouse looking for me. He wanted to tell me that he needed prayer because he had cancer.  He knew that he needed God to work things out and he knew that I had the line to God (all of us do, but you know).  So guess what I did? I took it serious. I got on the intercom and called out on the speaker that I needed everyone to main area.  Everyone came and I said to them ” Bobby has cancer and he wants to pray.”  They all were afraid to mess with God and didn’t want to look they didnt care so they all nodded their heads and agreed to pray.  I saw an opportunity and I took it, I said. “Lets all hold hands.” HA, you should have seen their faces as they formed a circle and held hands.  After praying for a little bit, I told them all to place their hands on Bobby… they did.  Over the next two years I heard so many stories of those same men turning their lives to God.  All because we took it serious.

The point here is that we have to take our next step serious, we have to give it our BEST.  If you are in a position that you know there is something better, still do your best where you are – it is where GOD has you.  If HE directs your paths, and HE knows what is best for you, then trust HIM.  If you are given a gift to teach, or preach, or plan – then develop that gift; read books, listen to tapes, watch videos, go to school – do whatever it takes to develop it.  If God has given you a dream… dream it.  Write it all down.  Break it down into steps.  Believe for steps to take place…

Just be you the best you can be, and let God live through you…

B