Bored With Life!!!

Now some will tell you they never get bored with life, but those same people will also tell you they like to take cold showers in the winter. Boredom can be a serious problem, even for Christians.

Let’s look at two things that will help us with this problem. First, we need to look at -

I. THE CAUSE OF BOREDOM

There are two primary causes of boredom.

A. THERE IS AN OVER-ABUNDANCE OF THINGS.

In America we live in a society where most are “blessed” with an OVER ABUNDANCE OF THINGS! That is, we have an abundance of things to occupy our time still we are bored. For example, today we have TV, Radio, Music, Movies, Internet, I-Pads, Video games, Cell phones etc.

Many believe the more you have the better chance you have of never becoming bored with life.

? We need not one television but many throughout the home.

? We need not one computer but many.

? We need not one car but many.

? We need not one house but many.

The MORE WE HAVE the better chance we have of not being bored with life. Right? No!!!

Illus: Solomon was like this; he had everything a man can think of. Some might say, “He had it all.” He had fame, education, power, material goods etc.

He also had 700 wives and 300 hundred concubines. He had everything a man could imagine; yet we hear him saying over and over again, “ALL IS VANITY AND VEXATION OF SPIRIT!”

One of the reasons for boredom today is an over-abundance of things that do not satisfy.

For example, there was a time when if you gave a child an apple, an orange, or a banana, he was thrilled and thought it was Christmas. Today, they have been given so much that you cannot give them anything big enough to make them thankful.

Illus: I can remember when I went to high school maybe 4 to 5 people would drive a car to school. But now I can drive by that same school and see it takes acres to accommodate all the student’s cars.

Today many have almost everything and they have become bored because these things do not satisfy. No matter how much people have they are always looking for something new.

Illus: Dr. Odell Belger talks about in the 60’s and 70’s when churches were heavy into the bus ministry.

? To get children to ride their buses the drivers would offer them a popsicle or cold drink.

? But as time went on the competition among the drivers from other churches got stronger so drivers started offering the children hot dogs or hamburgers.

? As the competition among the drivers to get children to ride their buses grew they would offer children baseball bats, gloves or basketballs.

? Still the competition became greater and some drivers were literally giving away Shetland ponies and colored televisions.

It got so bad that when a driver drove up to a bunch of kids before the children would put a foot on the bus they wanted to know what the driver was going to give them.

As a society of adults and children we have been given so much we have become over-stimulated with things that do not satisfy.

Listen, there might be some here today who have not reached that place yet, because you are still convinced the more you can get the better off you will be. But I am here to tell you…THINGS DO NOT SATISFY!!!

Over-abundance of things has played a major part in the BOREDOM we now face! People are weary of it all. But there is something else we need to consider and that is-

B. THERE IS AN UNDER-COMMITMENT.

Illus: Someone said, “Too many people live at the 20% level of commitment.” That is-

• Many are 20% committed to their marriage.

• Many are 20% committed to their work.

• Many are 20% committed to their families.

• Many are 20% committed to their careers.

• Many are 20% committed to their church.

• Many are 20% committed to Jesus Christ.

Because of this under-commitment, people are living lives of frustration. They feel they have no purpose in life. NO WONDER THEY ARE BORED. They do the same ole’ same ole’ and don’t seem to be satisfied.

Boredom is a serious problem for many folks. We have looked at THE CAUSE OF BOREDOM; now look at-

II. THE CURE FOR BOREDOM

Any time there is a cause, there has to be a cure! For example:

• There is something that CAUSES humans to have cancer. There is a CURE, but mankind has not yet been able to find the CURE.

• There are things that CAUSE BOREDOM, but many have not yet found the CURE.