One Day + Boredom = Trouble

"Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." [Galatians 6:9]

Ever had a day when you were just plain BORED? Of course there must  be at least a day from your childhood when you could relate to that state of mind. I know that when I was a kid, boredom would creep in for me on those gloomy days when the weather was not at it's best and I was kept in from my normal outdoor play and games.  I would also "feel" bored when my "bestie" was not home or unavailable for us to get together.  I recall my declarations of boredom and the response that my dad would always give me.  According to him, there was never a reason for us to be bored; there was always something we could be doing.  And actually Daddy was right.  But I guess the bottom-line was, I "felt" bored because what I "desired " to do what not possible at that time.

The dictionary's definition of  "boredom" is "the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest" [http://www.blogger.com/www.merriam-webster.com]. And according to the Russian thinker, novelist, and philosopher, Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy, "boredom" is "... the desire for desires".  I definitely believe as a child, my definition of boredom stood right in line with Merriam-Webster's definition and Mr. Tolstoy's philosophy; I had a desire to play dolls, to jump double dutch, and to ride my bike (all those activities were my desires);  not to read a book, watch a television show, or play with my younger siblings.  So in my inability to obtain the desires I desired, I was bored.  Fortunately, for me, my boredom simply led to me sitting on the small couch, staring out the front window, and wearing a glum look on my face all day; for other kids, however, their boredom can often lead to destructive exploration and mischief.  Green number sixes all over bedroom walls and a sheet-less mattress were all a result of a little four year old girl's moments boredom (while Mommy and Big Sis were napping). 

Simply said, "Boredom Can Lead to Trouble!"

But today, the type of boredom that I am concerned with is not that of cute little kids, scribbling on the walls, or making Picasso-like works of art with ketchup on the granite counter.  My concern is for the boredom and apathy that can sometimes creep into the lives of grown adults.  And though that boredom may only last for a day,  that one day of boredom can lead to poor judgement and a moment of trouble for that bored person (which may also end up adversely affecting the lives of others around them).

As a believer, boredom can creep in during those seasons when we have been stalwartly standing on the Word of God (for a specific breakthrough) and we are beginning to get weary in our stand.  We may be bored from the mundane tasks that we tackle each day or a daily hum-drum routine.  Boredom can also creep in just as it did when we were kids; maybe you are snowed in for some days and you are starting to feel that "cabin fever" setting in.  Or maybe the break of spring is on the rise and you are feeling cooped-up behind the brick walls of your office building or classroom.  All of sudden you "feel" bored with that job you love, or those children you look forward to teaching each day; the warm sun and milder temperature is what you are desiring at that moment.

Whatever leads you to feeling bored as an adult, watch out!  It is during times of boredom that we tend not to meditate on things that are "true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable...excellent and worthy of praise. "[Philippians 4:8]  Instead we meditate on what we desire and cannot or do not have; what we feel we deserve and are not receiving; what might seem "greener" to us on the other side.  And unfortunately, "after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death" [James 1:15].  One day of boredom and the lies that our desires are so much more important at that moment, can lead to inappropriate web surfing, viewing pornography, searching for an old flame or high school sweetheart (and you're married), fornicating (when you just gave your life to Christ or rededicated it), or even partaking in drugs (specifically, smoking a "little weed")- equaling sin.

BUT I IMPLORE US ALL (emphasis on "us"), ."...do not give the devil a foothold. Don't give the devil any opportunity [to work]." [Ephes. 4:27 God's Word Translation] in our one day of boredom! 

Do not let those "bored" moments lead us to destructive exploration and mischief!!!

"A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead" [Proverbs 21:16]

"The sluggard's cravings will be the death of him." [Proverbs 21:26]

When the state of boredom is on the rise in your day (or season), first know that it is a ploy and a lie from the enemy to get you off God's perfect track for you.  Next, resist that enemy and FLEE...run for your lives!  Pray and confess those desires to a "bestie" in your inner circle.  Then get busy doing all those things that you are blessed to "get to" do (even though they may not be on your desire list for that day).

Don't abort your promise and the harvest that is right around the corner!

"And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us

from the evil one." [Matthew 6:13]



Mad Luv~Teri