Here is the thing, most people equate boredom with having nothing to do, we think it is synonymous to idleness and probably relaxation. But it is not.
Boredom is not the absence of anything happening outside, it's more about what's going on inside of us.
When you are bored, there is actually something happening or in the picture, you are not just deriving pleasure, gassed about it or enjoying it. That feeling of excitement has been lost. We'd rather be doing something else than it.
SPIRITUAL BOREDOM is a much more dangerous problem most people don't pay attention to. I myself have been there but I didn't understand it fully.
"Been praying for 5 hours daily, used to be so excited about coming to talk to God but now the excitement is gone. I still love God but I'm not just hyped to pray, worship or study the word"
We are not in the mood today, so we shift till tomorrow. Missing 2 days is really not a big deal. Before you know it, it's 2 months. Not praying has become a habit, now when you genuinely decide to push yourself to pray, it is harder cos your body adjusted to the new routine.
SPIRITUAL BOREDOM often means a feeling of void, emptiness, frustration and dissatisfaction in the state of our relationship with God. There is really nothing catchy holding down our attention. At this stage, we are stuck spiritually.
Boredom is very annoying and overwhelming, it can get you irritated most times. It drags us down, keeps us from moving forward, we are not functioning properly spiritually, no interest in almost everything.
When we hit this rock, it happens that we have lost our sense of wonder, nothing at this point intrigues us as it used to anymore.
CAUSES OF SPIRITUAL BOREDOM
- Deferred Hope/Unanswered Prayers
Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.
Proverbs 13:12 MSG
There are times when we've prayed and prayed over a particular thing, we've hoped and hoped till there is no will to hope again. We pray for others and it happens but nothing is happening for us. We know God still loves us but things are not just going well. Everything is just Bland!
Praying has become tiring, sometimes we can't even open our mouths or we start and just doze off. Worship has now (almost) become empty lyrics being poured out in melody.
Deferred hope/unanswered prayers can really frustrate us as humans and in turn lead to spiritual boredom if not handled carefully.
Waiting on God can be so tiring especially when while asking us to wait, He is still using us to answer other people's prayers.
Even the Israelites upon all the miracles that happened with them, they couldn't wait for Moses to come down from the mountain.
Are you in this place?
You are tired of waiting, you just want things to work out. You just want that job to click. You just want that sickness to to go away.
You are tired of everything around you.
You are actually not sinning or doing anything wrong but everything wrong has decided to come up for you.
I know you are tired of waiting, but I need you to hold on, for this is where depth and maturity takes root.
The period where we have to wait for the seed to grow outwardly is where it is actually growing inwardly.
- Not Applying what the Bible teaches
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:22 KJV
If all you've ever done as a Christian is listen, listen, hear, hear and hear, it gets to a point where you've overheard the word and you are just tired of hearing it.
The word of God at this point becomes ordinary sermon to you.
Your heart is not looking forward to grabbing something new.
The problem is not the preacher or the way he teaches the word, neither is it the word, that it is now boring. The problem is actually you.
I took some courses in school that I had no interest in, I just go sit to mark attendance and listen just enough to pass the exam. Those lectures are ALWAYS boring to me. This is because I never tried to apply them outside the class for my own personal use.
My only interest was to lists.
If as a Christian, your only interest is listening and not acting, you will get tired. The enthusiasm will wear off.
- A rigid relationship
A lot of us have created routines in our walk with God. This Is actually a very good thing as it helps us not to lose focus but there is a problem when we get too comfortable in our routine with God.
We've reached that point where Sunday Service is nothing more than routine.
"Why are you going to church?"
"Oh!, today is Sunday na"
Our walk with God has slowly shifted to just duty and obligation.
We are no more satisfied by our daily/weekly outlines to get through the week with God.
You are tired of it.
It's now boring doing this over and over again
Here is the thing, our hearts were designed for passion.
Anything you have passion for usually automatically becomes interesting.
There is that longing and desire in us that needs to be fed as Christians and if it stays starved for long we get stuck.
We were designed for a relationship with God, longing to experience His fullness every minute.
If we stay without this desire for long, we go bland.
Where there is no true intimacy and fellowship, it gets boring.
One party gets tired.
You can actually start with it and fall out along the line.
What you feed is what will grow. What you starve will die.
There was a time I decided to stop fasting food.
Whenever I fast food or do any Marathon prayer (24 hours non stop, or 3 days church program), I come back fulfilled.
I feel like I don't need to pray anymore.
Somehow the zeal to pray just leaves me.
I noticed this after a while.
After having a good time with your spouse, do you pause on your relationship or intimacy? No.
So I took a break from it for a while as I realized I was getting too overwhelmed with the experience.
Then I focused on my relationship with God and getting more intimate.
The next time I fasted, I was prompted to. And it was amazing.
God wants to have a relationship with us beyond "I fast every Monday"
"I pray at 12am every day"
"I study my Bible 6am daily"
"I start my prayers with Thanksgiving, then end with praying for others"
"I pray for one hour daily"
All these things are not bad.
They are actually very good.
But God doesn't want us to limit our relationship with Him to just this.
Imagine seeing your spouse daily at the same restaurant for 15 min for years. Same food.
Someday it will get boring.
One person will get tired.
God wants spontaneous.
Our hearts also want spontaneous.
The human mind somehow loves adventure and when we can't find it, boredom sets in
Your boyfriend hits you up everyday and it is the usual Nigerian
"How are you, have you eaten? "
It will be sweet at first but Sooner or later, you will get tired.
- Change in seasons
Sometimes when we are tired or bored spiritually, it is pointing towards a change in season.
Our system is tired of the usual and we are ready for the next level so we are not just satisfied with all we are doing.
We are restless.
Everything is not interesting
We get easily irritated
We want MORE
We are not satisfied anymore with the status quo.
If we pay attention clearly and focus more on God, we might get to know seasons are actually changing for us.
Maybe a new career, new location, discovery of some spiritual gifts we never knew we had, joining a new ministry, finding purpose etc.
But all of these will be missed if we don't Channel the energy rightly.
Frustration and boredom sometimes can drive you to creativity. You discover hidden talents
If you are getting restless as a Christian or not satisfied, it might be time for a new direction or entry of another season
But first make sure you get directions from the Holy Spirit on this
How do we cure spiritual boredom?
What are the solutions to spiritual boredom?
- Focus on God's greatness and Holiness
When was the last time you shuddered and trembled at the thought of God's greatness and in the presence of His Holiness. Some of us have never even experienced this.
Do we perfectly conceive His holiness?
Do you say "God you are so great" and your mind begins to wonder just how great, you just end up in tears.
Like you stay in one position for minutes thinking "How Great".
Sometimes you might need to leave your house to get to this place if it's hard. Gaze at the heavens, look at the sky, go to the oceans, watch and see how these creations proclaim the greatness of God.
Just focus on the waves.
Sometimes, encounters with creation gives us a wider view of the creator
Until we are able to see God as who He is, our worship will remain mere words.
Just take a look at the waves of the ocean, proclaiming the glory of God.
The birds in the air
The flowers blooming in the field.
Just pay close attention to the creation
With the Creator in mind
- Chew the word
We've said this time and time. Meditate on the word.
Let it be what you wake up to. Let it be the last thing on your mind before you go to bed.
See, especially now that you are not married and having plenty kids.
When school fees is not knocking at your door with other responsibilities
If you don't know how to meditate now, you might not be able to even when you are older.
Breathe the word of God. Let your thoughts be centered round it
That you can just be in the office and the word pops up again and you start smiling sheepishly.
Let it not just be when word alive is sharing or your personal devotion time that you think about the word.
Let it be engraved on your palms, on the walls of your heart.
- Forget about yourself and needs, look towards helping others
When we are only about ourselves and what interests us, we might get bored. There is nothing new.
Try to do something for other people. Try to make it not always about you. Find ways to reach out to others and help them grow.
Don't think you are not qualified enough please.
When we help those in need, we help God. It could be words of Encouragement, anything.
- You can get a prayer journal
Pen down all your prayers, for yourself and other people. Mark it when your prayers get answered.
When you get stuck due to deferred Hope, just carry your journal and go through it.
In fact before you pray for anything difficult, carry your journal and go through it.
It will stir you up
You know that the God who did this can do others. Nothing is difficult.
Just imagine if the Israelites were able to just reflect on what God had been doing for them before complaining each time.
The human mind is set to forget quickly especially when disappointment is continual.
Get a prayer journal, so you never forget,
Not even one of His benefits
You might not need it till 30 years to come, when you've gotten so comfortable that you've forgotten you once fasted and prayed to get to that point
- Take prayer walks
You've been trying to get back on track but you keep dozing off?
Try to take prayer walk sometimes.
Try something different with your prayers.
You could go to a secluded environment to pray (a park, field)
You could do it while having your morning run or walk round the street at night
- Don't be rigid
Pray outside your set prayer time too.
Be ready to enjoy intimacy with God at any time.
Maybe it's lunch break at work or your way out.
You could just park somewhere in your car and worship.
Enjoy God
God loves spontaneous
Your human nature craves spontaneous too
So try spontaneous
Sometimes, just gist with God during your prayers.
Like the way you gist with your friends.
Be adventurous in your relationship with God.
I thought about this today. A friend of mine traveled to Croatia.
My mind, I'm like one day I will be traveling the world with the love of my life
Then it dropped in me, have I thought of traveling the world with God.
Not just to tour but to gaze upon His creation and worship Him?
Just me and Him moment in these places?
God would really love this
Our spiritual lives will really love this
I've been trying to imagine what the experience will be like
Finally,
- Long for intimacy and Romance with God
These things were instilled in us in creation but we usually think it is for the opposite sex alone. Unleash it in your pursuit of God.
Let intimacy with God be your priority for the rest of your life. Let it be top on your list.
Again,
God is exciting, very exciting. He loves spontaneous and you are naturally wired to want spontaneous. So please, try spontaneous.
God bless you!
No comments:
Post a Comment