Do it for the Fun of it!

Have you ever started doing something just for the fun of it, but then at some point it just became that much more serious?
I’m talking about when you were doing something just for the love of it, but then it started to change into something that seemed to matter in a big way. Then all of a sudden, the fun factor just seems to up and leave the room.

The question that is playing on my mind at the moment is, “Why does this have to get so serious? Can’t I just do this for the fun of it?”

If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m trying to have a serious word with myself about not loosing the fun in what I am doing.
Unfortunately it’s all too easy to do just this.
We start something and it’s just something that we play with, and it’s a bit of fun. But then at some point, we start to take it (or ourselves) too seriously, and then the fun just disappears as it becomes the hard slog of work.
Why do we do this?

Do we do this with our Lord God as well?

Is there something that Our Lord God wants for us to work on, that is meant to be fun for us, but somehow we just manage to miss the fun factor in it.

How do we do this?
Take it too seriously?
Hold it too tightly?
Maybe we just see the work to be done and omitt the fun that should also be present, for whatever reason we manage to grab hold of?

Matthew 11:28-30
²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In the above verse we can see that there is a work for us all to do. “Taking a yoke upon us”, is clearly saying “do the work that He has for us.” But it also states that His yoke is “easy” and His burden is “light”.

So why is it that we can become overburdened and worn out?

Do we pick up more than we should do?
Do we try to rely to much on our own strength rather than resting in and calling on His strength?
Do we pick up more than we should because others won’t do their bit?
Will we allow others to help out with what we are doing?
Will we share that which we are carrying?
Will we cope if someone else tries to do something differently to how we think it should be done?

The above are just some few questions which have just gone through my mind.
Do any of them apply to you?
Are there any other thoughts that Our Heavenly Father is bringing to your mind now, that He wants you to talk to Him about?

I’ve heard it said that the way we do church can be like a football stadium on match day.
23 people (including the ref) running about on the pitch in need of a rest, while 40 thousand spectators, who are in need of exercise, stand around and shout. 🙂

Can we do any better than this?
I do hope that the answer to this one is a yes.
But how can we make it a yes?

First thing is to be aware that there is a problem. (Houston, we have a problem.)
Then are we willing to change how we do ……..
I am talking about everybody being willing to change. Not just, “Oh, if only they would just do this!” 🙂
The real question is, “Am I willing to change what I do, so that I am no longer part of the problem?”

A really annoying phrase someone said to me once is, “If you’re not part of the solution then you’re part of the problem!”
I’ll try to not dwell too much on this one, (I’m thinking that it could be a rabbit hole to avoid at the moment). But a previous post of “Somebody else’s problem” does ask the question of “Should I pick this up or put this down?”

Another thought that keeps running through my mind as I write this is, “Can we see potential for development, in place of neat and tidy?“
Yes, it’s another previous post. A link is above for anyone who would like to read the full post.
Quick summary. We like neat and tidy, but in trying to keep things neat and tidy, do we then choke potential for development? We might not be able to have both, as potential for development could mean doing something differently, and possibly in a slightly awkward manner. In a messy way, …. possibly?

From starting a post that was asking, “Can we keep the fun in this?” Well, I seem to have got all serious again. 🙂

There are times when we do need to be a bit more serious, but hopefully we can can still keep an element of fun to what we are doing. Can we try to remember that His yoke is meant you be easy, and His burden light?

Matthew 11:28-30
²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”