YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!

I love tennis court tantrums. John McEnroe gave some of the best. He was a brilliant player, but most associate him with his ranting at poor umpires, unleashing verbal volleys in their direction and (my favourite bit), destroying his racket.

McEnroe's phrase 'You cannot be serious' has gone down in folklore. I use it regularly when being beaten on a tennis court, blaming my racquet, the weather or the balls (not my ability, or lack of it, of course).

But can the phrase can be applied to our generation today?

 

Do we have difficulty engaging in serious thought about the meaning of life and spiritual truths?

 

Instant relief from seriousness

100 years ago serious thought wasn’t a problem. But now we live in an entertainment-driven, satisfy-yourself-in-an-instant culture.

You can watch any film you like. 

Listen to any music you fancy on your smartphone.

All at the touch of a button.

On that 5 minute bus journey home you can update your Facebook status. 

After watching disturbing developments in Ukraine we can flick channels and cheer ourselves up with an episode of Glee or Homeland.

 

This blog post will likely only get few clicks, especially from Facebook, which gives instant relief from the temptation of seriousness, especially posts that talk about it!

 

Serious = boring

People like me who talk of seriousness are equated with being boring. In fact, seriousness has been redefined from its dictionary meaning: 'concerned with grave, important, or complex matters, problems, etc.; weighty'.

"He's just so serious" is a phrase which really means "he's so boring, he's no fun to be around and he won't make you feel good about yourself". 

I’m not saying we should be 'serious' all the time - there are times for lightheartedness, relaxation etc (and even thinking about some ‘serious’ topics can be enjoyable!).

 

Why we should embrace seriousness

Issues of life and death, salvation, redemption and sanctification are weighty, important, complex matters which deserve and demand serious thought and contemplation. 

Great thinkers of years ago like Jonathan Edwards and modern-day authors like John Piper write as they do because they have often looked deeply into God’s word through the hardest of circumstances, asking God difficult questions and not letting go until they have an answer.

Where is our serious thought? When do we ever really get into the Bible, challenge our thinking, and ask God to reveal himself to us over several hours and not just several seconds?

 The Psalmist in Psalm 119 has clearly spent many hours and days considering God’s word. In Titus 2:7 the Apostle Paul urges those of the faith to ‘…show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned…'. The benefits to us as Christians are immeasurable.

 

 

Thriving in an entertainment-addicted culture

Entertainment – the mindless, trashy, superficial kind of stuff.  A drug as addictive and harmful as a class A drug like heroin - dulling the senses, bringing a momentary rush of pleasure or escapism.

 

Yes we can enjoy some of it. I’m a secret fan of Downton Abbey for goodness sake!

But we need to be careful; many Christians are just as addicted as everyone else.

As well as the Bible, consider taking some time out to read something more meaty; perhaps a classic book by someone like JC Ryle or Andrew Murray. Perhaps meet up with someone and discuss it, and learn how to balance enjoying our culture whilst not selling out to it.

Engaging with an entertainment-addicted culture

We need to use imaginative and relevant methods of reaching people where they are. Media such as blogs, podcasts, television and radio are essential to this. Keeping up with popular culture to connect with people where they are at is useful. Let's not let this be primarily for our entertainment and escapism, but with a strategic, focussed goal of reaching people for Christ.

 

John McEnroe was (and still is) a great player. His success came from serious dedication. His commentary success today similarly comes from seriously studying the game.

Yes, he is a wit. Yes, his tantrums could be funny. But he had to be serious to succeed.

 

Can you be serious?