Eccles. 2:11
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour
that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of
spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
As I considered the above scripture, it seemed to me a perfect description
of boredom. Naturally, I opened my Webster's 1828 dictionary for a clearer
definition of the word, only to find that it was not listed! Perhaps people
in the past were not prone to such state of mind as we are today… Have
you ever been conscious of a tedious, lackluster existence? Have you come
to the place in your life where you simply have lost interest in just
about everything? As our opening scripture illustrates, Solomon had literally
become exasperated with all he engaged in and even went so far as to conclude
that life was just not worth living.
Eccles. 2:17
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun
is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Boredom comes from a self-centered outlook. Notice Solomon conducted his
search for life's meaning as an experiment. He first tried pursuing pleasure;
he undertook great projects, bought slaves and herds and flocks, accumulated
wealth, acquired singers, added many women to his harem, and became the
greatest person in Jerusalem. However, none of these brought him satisfaction!
His soul was frustrated; he was still bored… Some of the pleasures Solomon
sought to cheer himself were wrong and some were worthwhile, but even
the worthy pursuits were futile when he pursued them as ends in themselves.
Ladies, we must look beyond our activities to the reasons we do them and
the purpose they fulfill! Is your only mission in life to search for meaning
or to search for God who gives meaning?? Are you fostering a contented
spirit or a bored one?
Matthew 6:19-21
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: [20] But lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves do not break through nor steal: [21] For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Boredom is a warning sign of wrong priorities. Expecting to experience
an abundant life apart from God to meet our deepest needs will always
lead to emptiness! Check and see if your heart is set on a particular
"treasure" that is subject to corruption… The Lord would have us to understand
that our hearts will be restless and bored if our "treasure" isn't focused
on knowing and obeying Him! We can actually use boredom to teach us about
areas of our life in which we are not allowing the Lord to have control.
An earthly minded man proves that his treasure is below; a heavenly minded
man shows that his treasure is above. Boredom is an indication of the
outlook of your heart! If you are off center in this area, then the rest
of your life will suffer…
Galatians 3:1-3
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the
truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified
among you? [2] This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit
by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? [3] Are ye so foolish?
having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
You may not have considered this, ladies, but your boredom may actually
be rebellion! Here Paul teaches us that the Holy Spirit gives Christians
great power to live for God. However, some Christians want more than this.
They want to live in a state of perpetual excitement, a continual high.
Hence, the tedium of everyday living leads them to conclude that something
is wrong spiritually. Ladies, power-filled Christian living and commotion
are two very different things! Often the Holy Spirit's greatest work is
teaching us to persist, to keep on doing what is right even when it no
longer seems interesting or exciting. Can you do that?
Luke 9:23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Boredom is not as inactive as many people think. It is a form of internalized
anger; an active rebellion against a situation in which one finds himself
that he does not like. We frequently meet up with crosses in the way of
daily duty… Because of their boredom, the Galatians quickly turned from
the truth Paul taught them to the foolishness of the newest teachers in
town. They went beyond the Word of God for diversion from dullness and
lost sight of their doctrine in the process. What sorts of distractions
do you pursue to give your life meaning or significance? Are you easily
infatuated with new philosophies because of your dissatisfaction with
your present circumstances? If you're not careful, dear lady, in tiring
of the small demands of Christian life, you could end up as bewitched
as the foolish Galatians! Don't let the devil blind you with boredom and
breed the wrong behavior in you. Don't allow yourself to be tempted to
follow every new thing; meddle not with them that are given to change.
As you yield to the Lord, the Holy Spirit will help you accept the sameness
of everyday life and still live with zeal for Christ! Draw contentment
from God's unchanging nature…
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003
