"Boring people are bored." That is always my answer.
They hate it when I say that, but then they almost always find something to do before I assign them an activity. Now, I don't actually think that only boring people are bored. But it gets their inner creative juices flowing.
Let's break this down a bit.
Bore - verb (used with object), bored, boring. 1. to weary by dullness, tedious repetition, unwelcome attentions, etc. 2. a dull, tiresome, or uncongenial person. 3. a cause of ennui or petty annoyance: repetitious tasks that are a bore to do.
Boredom - the state of being bored.
Boring - adjective. Causing or marked by boredom. The state of being weary and restless through lack of interest.
When you think about this in terms of literalness, boredom shouldn't be something that constantly plagues us. As an adult, I can certainly think of boring things for which I've listened. Boring speakers, preachers, presentations, etc. The subject matter may not be something of interest to me. You will certainly encounter things that are not fascinating, interesting, and exciting. But that isn't what I mean. When you are at home and in your leisure time, there is absolutely no reason to be bored.
I mean have you looked outside lately? Have you seen what God has given us to enjoy? People. There is no reason to be bored. If you live in my area of TN, you have mountains, water, and a ridiculous amount of beautiful nature. Now if it is a day where the weather isn't permissive of allowing us to enjoy nature, what is one to do? Well, how many hobbies are out there? I mean really...out of all the things to do in the world, there isn't one thing that you could be learning or doing? For most of us, we have the internet at our disposal. You can pretty much find a tutorial on how to do anything on You Tube.
I think the problem in our current culture is that we expect to be entertained. Don't even get me started on children who expect to be entertained. Within five minutes of one of my children complaining of boredom, they usually end up drawing, riding bikes, jumping on the trampoline or swimming, building legos, playing dolls...the list goes on. TV, movies, and video games are not our first resort, especially during pretty weather. And quite frankly, people who do nothing but spend their free time watching non-stop television are pretty boring. I'm not dissing TV, movies, and video games, but I'm saying it should not be our go to. Don't get me wrong. I have a few favorite TV shows and I love to watch a good movie, but it isn't the only thing I do.
We need to ask ourselves why we are bored? Are we unsatisfied with life and our experiences? Are we yearning for something else? Are we spending all of our free time playing addictive iPhone games or scrolling aimlessly through our Facebook feeds? Are we fulfilling our innate need to expand our experiences? We need to get out and live our lives and learn new things. However, we also need to learn to be content. But being content doesn't equate being bored. There is a fine line and many of us find this confusing. When I look in the scriptures to see what God says about boredom, I'm drawn to the following passages.
"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice!" - Philippians 4:5, NLT
"Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have." Philippians 4:11, NLT
Honestly all of Philippians chapter 4 is full of wise advice on contentment.
"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT
"Each time he said, My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9a
I don't know about you, but I think the bottom line to finding contentment and an end to boredom can ultimately be filled by Christ. Whether it be using that time of boredom to bless your family by cleaning the house, reading Scripture or a new book, learning a new hobby or perfecting an old one, or loving on your friends and family - I think the message is clear. God has given us so many things to rejoice and so many opportunities to serve Him and others, that we probably aren't really as bored as we think we are.
- Peace out, my homies. I hope you can find contentment and joy this week.
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