Bored? Seriously?

September 19, 2023

If you identify as a Christian, a Christ-follower, but you feel bored, then you might want to check the distance between yourself and God. Jesus came to give us “life to the full” (John 10:10), life that is exceedingly abundant. That should rule out boring Christianity, shouldn’t it? Perhaps we get bored because we aren’t taking any risks for Jesus.

My dad was a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne and jumped into battle in France on D-Day. You may occasionally find a military person who thought service was boring, but it wouldn’t be a paratrooper who jumped into battle in wartime. Truthfully, just the jump would do it for me. I wouldn’t need any extra danger. Just the risk of entrusting my life to that parachute, trusting It to open in time, would keep me far from being bored.

Skydiving increases in popularity steadily. A person jumps out of a plane, plummeting toward the earth below. The jumper is counting on his parachute to open up appropriately. He/she puts total faith in that parachute.

If we would pick up that approach as followers of Jesus, we wouldn’t be bored! We would be willing to leave our comfort zones and step out for Jesus, taking that leap of faith. We would obey Him always, especially in situations that are out of our control. We would actually trust Him, acting on what we say we believe.

That’s the way the “skydivers” in Scripture lived: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David, etc. I’m sure they weren’t bored. They went to the edge and took the plunge, confident that God would hold onto them, even though they didn’t see or feel like it.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. Hebrews 11:1-2

What are some low-risk jumps for you as a Christian? What are some higher-risk plunges for you as a Christian? Taking the risks to do this is a sure cure for boredom in the Christian life. No risk requires no faith. If we never take risks, we will have little need for faith.

“I am bored with my life” should be words that never come from a Christian’s lips. As Christians, with all the promises of Christ and the resources we have for living, boredom is not a choice.

Maybe we get bored because we are boring. Think about it. What are you doing or what have you done for Jesus? Are you fulfilling the Great Commission or at least working on it? Is your life so eventless that you have no stories to tell? You can quickly lift out of the depressed or boring place if you look around and see the situations that others are facing. They have relationships gone sour, habits that are destroying them, they are isolated and alone. Health or financial issues are overwhelming. The issues are endless, and you don’t have to look far.

If you want boredom to leave you forever, sky dive into our hurting and needy world. As you take the gospel and hope of Jesus Christ as your parachute, you can be sure you will land safely and be the source of hope and direction for people in great need. And here’s a probable outcome for you—you will find the adrenaline-flow from having a significant and eternal purpose very satisfying and almost addictive.

Plus, you will know you are pleasing the One who really matters most.