The Gift of Boredom

The Gift of Boredom

We fear boredom, but boredom can be the path to holiness.


Are you ever bored? Silly question, isn't it? We all go through periods of boredom. Mostly, we don't like being bored. We want life to offer us, if not excitement, at least wonder and joy—100 percent of the time. But our more realistic side knows this is simply not going to happen. One reason is that we were not made for this earth. Ultimately, human beings can never find lasting fulfillment in anything this world can offer. And because this is so, boredom can actually be the path to holiness.

Table of Contents

SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 11:1–5; 1 Kings 11:1–9; Psalm 85:8–13; Ecclesiastes 2; Isaiah 26:3, 8–9; Matthew 5:6, 8; Luke 15:11–20; Acts 15:36–41; 35:8–10; Romans 12:1–2; 1 Peter 2:11–12


• The Issue

Sample questions:

What are some aspects of your daily routine or your job that you find boring?

Why do people willingly separate themselves from the joys of life? What has that to do with choosing to be bored?

• The Scriptures

Sample Scriptures:

In 2 Samuel 11:1–5, why do you think the biblical writer draws attention to the fact that David chose to remain in Jerusalem while his troops were out waging war (v.1)? Perhaps if he had been occupied in battle he would not have been pacing his rooftop in what may have been boredom.

Matthew 5:6, 8: What do these verses from the Beatitudes suggest to you about the satisfaction of substituting holiness for boredom?

• The Application

Sample application questions:

How do you deal with boredom? What positive steps might you take when you feel oppressed by tedium in your life that could help you overcome the temptations that come from allowing boredom to overtake you?

How can you help the young people in your church see the excitement that comes from living lives of holiness and righteousness?


Anything but Boredom!, by Donald W. McCullough (August 1991, 12 printed pages)

Total number of pages

  • Word Document
  • SMG-CLBS25-D