2 1/2 Ways to Escape Boredom

Imagine the feeling of blah that adheres to being fully full.

                Maybe you’re putting the empty, big bowl in the sink, after scratching that massive midnight itch, for the flavor and savor of those five scoops of ice cream.

                Maybe the lazy thought of getting just one more serving, at the “all you can eat” buffet, has just been tackled by that yucky state of post-buffet boredom that bubbles up and burps.

When we are fully full, all the time, we end up in the dungeon of boredom.

                And it saddens God to see His children under-living a life, stuck in a ho-hum, muffled, colorless, numbness state of boredom.

                It saddens God to see you spending your un-vivid, unliberated life with one foot on the brake as you diminish the vitality and vibrancy of His available Power.

This ancient proverb is the key that enables you to escape boredom in 2 ½ ways.

                “One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.” (Proverbs 27:7)

Did you catch the first way of escape from the bondage of boredom?

       ·         You must believe that “Fullness turns the taster into a hater.”

In ancient times, honey was the biggest-big, sweetet, taste-bud-tickling treat. 

You just couldn’t go to the convenience store and get a Hershey’s chocolate bar or bag of Skittles.

If you happened to come across a rare hive of honey along the tasteless track of life, you licked and slurped that sticky sweet with a wild smile.

But you and I don’t live in a culture with rare hives of honey.

A constellation of comforts meet us at every turn.

       ·         We binge-watch our tastes in television or internet pleasures.

       ·         We snack on sweets and sup on succulent food.

       ·         We social snack on social media to ensure we remain “full” regarding the fading facts posted by our friends.

        ·         We track the trivial trends in sports, news and celebrity sensations.

And we wonder why the tentacles of boredom hold us frozen in a state of feeling-less-ness.

We wonder how we as tasters have been transformed into haters of these hives of honey.

Pick up this key of escape when you are bound to boredom:

        ·         Ignore the impulse to cram another comfort into your soul.

        ·         Yield to the self-control of the Spirit and experience his personal power (Galatians 5:23)

Look!

The second solution to breaking the blah’s of boredom is right here.

All you have to do is pick it up in your sticky fingers.

·         Hunger is the best sauce for perking up the sensations of life!

When you’re hungry, even distasteful flavors sizzle and have the snap-crackle-pop of sweetness.

Try it.

Go a week without sweets. 
       You won’t die.
            At least I don’t think you’ll die. 
                  Take the risk.

After a week without sweets grab a grape.

Wash it off, pop it in your mouth, crush that sugar ball between your teeth and then

WAIT!!!…..FOR!!!…..IT!!!….

WHAM!  

Your bored little taste buds will bludgeon the boredom right out of your being as they enjoy the feast of fireworks going on inside your mouth.

And just to make sure you don’t get too full on these boredom busters, I’ll give you just ½ more of a serving of Scripture.

·         Stay hungry and EVERYTHING will stay sweet.

          This Scripture takes aim at our overstimulated souls.

                 We were designed for hunger pangs that only God can fill.

                         He is both chef and feast.

When we gorge ourselves with excessive stuff, socializing, sex, stories, and sizzling sensations we fall down the steps into the dark basement of boredom.

The door slams behind us and the lock clicks.

BUT. 

You now hold the key.

You can close the pantry door as you hunger for that snack.

You can close the computer as you hunger for humor or romance or beauty.

You can!

            In Christ!

                        Pulsating with the power and Presence of His personal Spirit!

Because NOW you have opened your mouth and are tasting the honey of HIM.

Howard Cole
Senior Pastor
Metro North Church