Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously. Take God Seriously.

A Reflection on Micah 6:8 (MSG)

I recently had a conversation with a friend about plans and goals for 2026. One of the things I intentionally wrote down was a simple goal: to enjoy life and have fun.

I wrote it down because, if I am honest, fun is not something that naturally rises to the top of my priorities. Work, responsibilities, and obligations typically take precedence. Enjoyment often comes last, if it comes at all.

The very next morning, during my devotional time, I happened to be reading Micah 6:8 in The Message Bible. I have read this verse many times before. In the King James Version, it is familiar and concise: to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.

But this time, the wording landed differently.

The Message paraphrases the passage this way:

God has already made it plain how to live,
what to do,
what He is looking for in men and women.

Do what is fair and just to your neighbor.
Be compassionate and loyal in your love.
And don’t take yourself too seriously.
Take God seriously.

Those last lines stopped me in my tracks.

It felt like God was responding directly to the conversation I had the day before. Almost as if He was gently reminding me that part of faithful living is not rigidity, but intentional joy.

Jesus tells us plainly that He came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Scripture never suggests that God wants us to merely endure life. In fact, He created a world filled with beauty for our enjoyment. Sunrises and sunsets, trees and birds, food to savor, and relationships to cherish were not accidents. They were gifts.

Somewhere along the way, we convince ourselves that enjoying life is unspiritual or irresponsible. We grow tense. We become rigid. We take everything seriously except the one thing that actually deserves our reverence.

God does not ask us to take life with crushing seriousness.
He asks us to take Him seriously.

To fear God is not to be afraid of Him. It is to live in awe of who He is. When we live from that place of awe, joy follows naturally. Scripture even speaks of God rejoicing over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). If God delights in us, why do we struggle to believe He wants us to delight in the life He has given?

David prayed for the joy of salvation to be restored to him (Psalm 51:12). God values joy. He values gladness. Even during moments of discipline and fasting, Jesus instructed us not to appear somber, but to let our lives reflect the goodness of God (Matthew 6:16–18).

So why do we grip life so tightly instead of trusting God with it?

The invitation in Micah 6:8 is freeing and practical. Do not become so consumed with yourself that you forget to live. Focus on God. When we do, we begin to realize that joy is not a distraction from faith. It is often a result of it.

As we take God seriously, we grow in awe of His love, His faithfulness, and His presence. Over time, that awe reshapes how we live. It teaches us how to enjoy life without guilt and how to walk faithfully without heaviness.

That is God’s desire for us. A meaningful life. A joy-filled life. A life lived in relationship with Him.

So take a moment today and reflect honestly. What are the small, life-giving things you have stopped allowing yourself to enjoy?

Because perhaps the call is not to become more serious with life, but more surrendered to God.

Do not take life so seriously.
Just take God seriously.