The Lost Art of Boredom

I think I have a problem.

I struggle with being bored. Not just with nothing to do, but when I’m doing something that bores me, I want to swiftly move on to something more interesting. Even when I’m reading I book I want to read, if I reach a part that’s not that interesting, I want to skip and move to where the guy meets the girl already. What is wrong with me? 

I know I’m not alone. We live in a world now with instant gratification. If an ad pops up, we can skip. If a video’s too long, we can move onto the shorts. If a movie is putting us to sleep, we can navigate to Netflix’s home page to find the next big hit. No more road trips staring out the window. Instead our daydreaming now consists of scrolling on Instagram. No more making up stories in the backyard. Now we just pretend we’re in the backyard behind our VR headsets. 

Okay, I don’t know if all of that’s true. I’m sure kids still play outside and we have meaningful conversations in the car, but you get my point. It’s so easy to avoid boredom these days, I’ve forgotten the art of just plowing through and working hard even when it’s not convenient or entertaining. Lately I’ve been going crazy when I’ve reached a part of my job I just don’t want to do or when I try to force myself not to turn on a movie when I’m getting ready to cook. What is wrong with me?

You see, I’m thinking there’s meaning to boredom, to doing something you don’t feel like doing, or even to having nothing to do at all. I imagine in the Bible, an age without any hint of technology, where they had to go on long walks just to get water, that they’re brains were full of ideas and their hearts were full of grit. They did what needed to be done no matter how they felt, and they heard God more clearly without the distraction or temptation of a smartphone. 

God created us to work. God created us to be in community and actually physically hang out with people. God created us to rest and create and to listen to His voice. God created us without television or books or phones or anything but the natural world around us to bring us joy and fulfillment. I know He also gave us brains to create things like technology, but still, I have to think God knew what He was doing when He decided to allow that invention to be delayed for thousands of years. 

Could it be that I’ve gotten so used to instant gratification that my patience is weak and my drive to do what is right is struggling to survive? Okay, I’m being a little dramatic, but I have seen weak points in both of those areas for me. I don’t think I should struggle with some of the tedious work I have to do at my job that the company needs done to function efficiently. Yes, I’m sure taking frequent breaks and going outside would help me. Yes, it’s possible I need a little more physical labor in my daily work than the typical desk job. But could the problem also be that my aversion to boredom is a little out of control? Could it also be that I need to be okay if I’m not laughing or crying or being intrigued by some drama every aspect of the day? 

Lord, help me to be a better person, one who embraces the amount of boredom you intended for us as a part of life, as something good to experience. And Lord, remove every addiction to technology and entertainment - or anything else - so that I may be free to walk in your Will gracefully and well. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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