Summertime Boredom
Twice today – once at church, once out in the neighborhood – I heard a kid call to their mom, “I’m Bored!” Both times I smiled inside and thought, “Yes! That’s where so many good things begin.” Boredom is one of God’s great summertime gifts. Healthy boredom is the kind of down time through which God can restore, refresh, and recalibrate us.
We live in a world where we are constantly consuming information, scrolling through social media, and frantically switching between tasks. This forces our brains to remain in a state of high alert. Over countless repeated days like this, we can begin to experience mental fatigue and stress. Amen?!? The moment you allow yourself to be genuinely bored, your brain transitions from this active, task-oriented state into a resting condition known as the Default Mode Network (DMN). During this idle period, your brain goes on "autopilot," but it is far from inactive. Your brain is doing behind the scenes work: consolidating memories, reflecting on recent experiences, and subconsciously organizing information. God designed boredom to be a crucial mental reset button that sweeps away cognitive clutter and lowers stress. In our modern wisdom, we have almost eradicated boredom altogether and managed to replace it with nonstop low-level entertainment and distraction that neither heals nor restores.
I’m convinced this is why some of us love fishing or hunting or hiking or a day at the beach – all are different ways to quiet, and likely bored for a bit. Boredom is good for your body, and even better for your soul. Boredom means that we’ve released our agendas, plans, and schemes for a minute - and that posture puts us in a frame of mind where the Holy Spirit has more freedom to whisper to us and influence us. There’s more latitude for Jesus to be a Good Shepherd and lead us in the way that only he can do!
Anecdotally, I remember how happy my kids and their friends were whenever I picked them up after a week of summer camp, away from phones and technology. A week of living outdoors with camp “boredom” put them in a state of joy. I never saw them more communicative, clever, and creative than after an extended time of boredom.
This idea has more than a little Scriptural backing as well. Consider Isaiah 30:15:
This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…”
So, friends, as summer officially kicks off, I encourage you to embrace God’s gift of boredom. The kind of quietness mentioned by Isaiah. The kind that leads to rest and refreshment. The kind of wide-open time and space that leads to new, creative ideas and maybe even hearing whispers from God’s Spirit. The kind of rest that recharges your human battery up to 100%.
Be bored and be blessed!
– Pastor Gregg