Defeating Boredom

Defeating Boredom
(topical)

1. I really do not want to bore you with today’s sermon because my theme is boredom!

2. America is suffering from a plague of boredom. And this boredom is wasting lives, destroying families, and makes us a nation of depressed people who escape life and boredom by watching DVD after DVD.

3. Evangelical Christianity is suffering from a plague of boredom. People are bored, cannot pay attention or concentrate for long, and are passing time in front of TV or computer screens, existing but not really living.

4. It wasn’t always this way. Decades ago, most Americans belonged to clubs, had people over for dinner, read, and developed a variety of hobbies and interests. Then came the TV, and the more technology we add, the worse it gets.

5. Most people have no strategy to reduce boredom from life. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. One day I was waiting in the doctor’s office playing solitaire….if I had decks of cards to sell, I would have made a fortune. I came prepared. I like time to be alone, time to think, time to read. But I do not like to be bored.

Main Idea: Our approach toward life is the greatest factor in determining whether we find life as a Christian boring or filled with wonder and interest.

I. The Wrong Approach to An Interesting Life is the Path of Least RESISTANCE (Proverbs 14:12)

A. Negative approaches have CONSEQUENCES

Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."

Matthew 25:30, "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Being bored invites trouble; bored kids in school, bored spouses, bored employees…
Bored people are set up to fall into sinful ways to alleviate the boredom…

B. Wrong ways to deal with BOREDOM

1. only passive entertainment (watching)
2. materialism (buying)
3. eating, alcohol, drugs, and addictions
4. sin becomes more enticing

C. Some CAUSES of boredom

1. under stimulation (we need an attainable challenge)
2. over stimulation (nothing except the extravagant then interests us)
3. repetition (we need variety, but some people fear change or variety)
4. disconnection (they don’t relate to what is going on; not part of team)

[1,3, & 4 from Richard Winter from "Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment"]

5. depression (unmotivated, frustrated)
6. attention deficit (circular)
7. confinement

D. Bored people can become BORING people

Generally people are bored because they have limited interests, and people with few interests are generally uninteresting to others except for those who have overlapping interests.

: Our approach toward life is the greatest factor in determining whether we find life as a Christian boring or filled with wonder and interest.

II. The Right Approach to Life Makes Life INTERESTING (Matthew 6:33)

A. Focus on GOOD things under the Lordship of Christ (Philippians 4:8)

Matthew 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

B. Clinging to spiritual WONDERS