“What does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.”
…
“All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said,
‘See, this is new’?
It has been already
in the ages before us.
There is no remembrance of former things,
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to be
among those who come after.”
–Eccesiastes 1:3-4, 8-11
Right now, towards the end of spring 2020, a sense of restlessness has come over many as all around the world people are quarantined at home. I’m no exception and neither is my family. Something I’ve learned, however, is that much of life consists of long periods of tedium. Very soon this quarantine will be over and we’ll go back to our churches, jobs, schools and social gatherings. Then what?
If you’re lucky, work will be fulfilling and exciting at times, but there will inevitably be long seasons in life were it feels tedious. Through much of life excitement and happiness is like a wild rabbit running before a child, always just out of their grasp.
Henry David Thoreau famously said,
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind.”
Despite our best efforts, life will feel empty and often boring for periods of time, quarantine or no quarantine. The Devil would like for us to despair at this prospect. But the truth is that God Himself can prevent a Christian’s life from being boring. Following God is an adventure in and of itself. Here are some helpful things to remember:
- God is infinite. There’s always something to learn about Him. The wonderful thing about God’s omnipotence is that since He’s endless, we can spend eternity learning new things about Him.
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,who seek him with their whole heart,–Psalm 119:2
- We can always talk to God. God listens and cares about everything we experience because He loves us. Just like a good parent will be interested in everything their child has to say, God will listen to us. When you’re bored with life, you can talk to God about it and ask Him to show you what He wants you to do in this season of life.
- God reminds us to be thankful for what He’s given us. When life feels boring, it’s easy to develop a negative outlook. Paying attention to the blessings we’re surrounded by and thanking God for them will help us to keep from being bored. If nothing else, we have a relationship with God to be joyful about!
Dependence on worldly comforts and our life’s situation will being boredom, tedium and eventually hopelessness. Dependence on God and gratefulness for Him will bring joy into a Christian’s life. This is what Solomon discovered the hard way as we see in the book of Ecclesiastes. We can learn from His mistakes and find our joy in the Lord. Right now, if you’re feeling down, depressed and bored, it may be that God wants to draw you closer to Him, which is the greatest and most exciting adventure of all!
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
–Thessalonians 5:16-18
Anna Sojourning 