Pitfalls: Boredom

"Idle hands are the devil's tools"

By far the most common times that lust flares is when we are bored.  The temptation only grows if we find ourselves alone and bored.  Compound that with opportunity to sin (which the internet makes nearly universal) and you have a toxic mix. 

God made us to work.  God gave Adam the work of cultivating and keeping the garden of Eden,  he was tasked to name the animals, God did not just plop Adam down in a self-sustaining paradise to sit around and eat bon-bons. 

When we are bored it is usually not because we can't find anything to do.  We can study the bible, fix up the house, work out, call up friends or do something with the kids, find a hobby, get a second job (or a first one), volunteer at a charity, etc.  Boredom comes from an unmotivated, self-serving, and undisciplined heart that wants to be entertained.  In fact boredom is a warning sign that something is wrong in our hearts.

 

How do we avoid the pitfall of boredom?  The terse answer that pops into everyone's mind is "do something",  but the real solution requires a much larger shift in priorities.  We can fill our days with meaningless activities to keep ourselves occupied, but by doing so we are still feeding the insatiable appetite of a lustful heart.  Mortifying the flesh also means ruling the heart. 

 

As we mentioned all men were created to work. The curse of sin caused the work to become wearisome. But God also made us new creatures who have a new purpose. We were created for good works. 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10

Good works are the faith-based selfless serving actions that God has called us to do.  When you realize that God has called you to be His body, His representative to the world then all of a sudden there aren't enough hours in the day.  Here are some of the good works God has prepared for most all believers:

1. Loving the Lord and bringing glory to Him
2. Loving our neighbors
3. Preaching the Gospel
4. Growing in holiness
5. Serving our wives
6. Leading our families
7. Working as to the Lord

When we start to seriously consider the time and effort required to do even some of these things well we realize that playtime is over.  When we decide to put on our big boy pants, be a man and pursue God's will then boredom seems to melt away.