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"GOD I'M BORED"

  Have you, like most, ever wondered how different life would be if you could follow the wind and find yourself on a sandy South Sea island riding the wild surf off Hawaii sitting astride a camel by an Egyptian pyramid? But being in exotic places, doing exciting things, and hob­nobbing with glamorous people is not part of our daily routine. The more we think about the excitement of travel, the more painful is the awareness that we're trapped by life's daily drag. Life isn't exciting ---- its monotnous! The more our world closes in on us, the more frantic we seek to climb out of the rut by indulging in daydreams. But try as we might, we can't dream ourselves out of the rut.

  Have you ever said, "I'm bored to death with the life I'm living. I never do anything or go anywhere that's exciting?"

  Most of us have made this confidential confession to a trusted friend; but, have you ever said to God, "God I'm bored with my life?"

  Boredom is one of the major problems infecting society today; all of us are susceptible! Boredom is easier to de­scribe than define. Its the weary feeling we experience around something or someone who is dull, uninteresting, or monotonous. Its the emotional fatigue stemming from the sameness of daily life. Boredom makes us feel life is little more than a rut (a rut has been called a grove with both ends kicked out!) -

  The feeling of being trapped in--a-monotonous routine with nothing to look forward to but more of the same it leaves us with an' emotional flat tire.

  Boredom results from our basic attitude toward life---­the tendency to look at life as a monotnous drag. If a woman says she is bored with her lot, it doesn't mean she doesn't love her family; it means she is tired of seeing the same kids and dishes day after day.

   Men often view their job as a monotonous bore. At the end of the day they come home emotionally flat with little de­sire to do more than sit in front of the TV, hoping to blot

out the thought of going back to the "grind" the following day.

  People become bored with their friends. After a while, they feel few of them have anything interesting to say. How many interesting friends do you have? If you are normal, the number will probably be under five.

  Television producers are largely responsible for inten­sifying our boredom. Picture the harried housewife (wearing a frayed and bedraggled chenille bathrobe) standing at her ironing board with a mountain of un-ironed clothes; her children have made a shambles of the house; the sink is full of dirty dishes. In an effort to escape the chaos, she makes a mis­take and turns on the T.V. There a beautiful shapely woman sways to the romantic strains of Hawaiian music. She looks back at the stack of ironing, the dirty dishes in the sink, the upside down house, the frayed bathrobe and says to her­self, "YUK!" (What she really feels like doing is kicking in the picture tube and running away!) Knowing she can't do that, she sits and seethes, feeling hopelessly trapped by the drudgery of her housework.

  Some women just go stir crazy after 15 or 20 years of noth­ing but taking care of the kids, dogs, cats, catering to the husband and doing the housework, many get sick, psychologically sick --- a wife feels trapped at home. She is unhappy with her husband, bored with her children, and tired of the daily monotony.

  Compounding her misery is the itch of envy out there in the big world of business: “If only I could get out there and compete”, she thinks.

  But men suffer the same type of boredom on their jobs. Sometime ago I heard a T.V. station question men on the streets if they were in a rut.

  So many said yes, oh but yes, "I do the same thing every day, get up, go to work, come home, eat, go to bed, boy I've got to make some changes."

  Another said, "I am. I measure all day long, Then I go home, sit down, watch T. V. Next day right back to work, mea­suring again all day long."

  Yet another said, "Yes, I work all day long and then at night, well, I'm a married man. I'm doing the same thing other married men do. I have a job in the day and I work on my mar­riage at night."

  So you can see it covers all this boredom.

  To many they regard their jobs as a dead end and you know what that can do to you with no where to go, makes it dull, boring, and degrading!

  Boredom it’s not an occupational hazard, it's an attitude toward the occupation. In our impersonal, mechanized society, every job has an element of the routine. But it's not the routine that leads to boredom; it's one's attitude toward the routine!

  The housewife can look at her children as a trap or as a privilege granted to shape the lives of part of the next gener­ation. A husband can see his job as a monotonous drag or as a small part of getting a significant job done. One's attitude makes a difference.

  If not dealt with properly, boredom will cause emotional sickness. Some of the emotional symptoms of boredom are despair, depression, pessimism, and ultimately suicide.

  Bored women suffer from imagined ailments. they must find an outlet hobbies, sports, education something interest­ing to take their minds away from^-the household. Such outlets brings or may bring temporary relief, but fail to deal with the basic problem of attitude. An outing may do wonders for the moment, but once back in the house, the four walls of bore­dom close in again. And in a desperate attempt to break the drab drag, bored people may seek thrills in drugs, sex, alcohol, or the occult. In addition to the social impact of such fruit­less efforts, the emotional toll and scars left on family mem­bers is immeasurable.

  Some observers believe boredom is responsible for much of the violence in the world today. They say "Boredom and Violence" stated many surveys indicate job dissatisfaction plays a large role in the current national wave of discontent. In seeking other outlets for their energy, more people are choosing vio­lence and justifying it."

  It is easy to follow the warped logic of some who reason "Why work in a boring job all day for a pittance when you can rob a bank and come home with a bundle?" The element of danger even the threat of jail if caught, adds excitement and seems preferable to the dull routine of the job at the "sweat shop."

  Boredom also creates spiritual problems. Many Christians blame God for their boredom. They feel God is too distant to be concerned about their problems. Some, because they know they have a room reserved in the "heavenly Hotel" adopt an attitude of living high till the "bye and bye."

  Others bear their boredom as if it were a cross laid on them by God. They feel licking over the traces would be "unspiritual," so suffer through life bored! Such an attitude causes the feeling of being trapped in a room without windows and doors. And not being able to knock down the walls, they grit their teeth and endure the daily boredom while glibly singing, "Jesus is the joy of living."

  Many try various escape routes which usually end up as dead end tunnels.

  Some think a new job with more excitement is the way to go. (and changing jobs may bring temporary respite) but every job has its monotonous element.

  Others seek escape in travel, meeting new people, new excitements, different places will banish their boredom. Bore­dom will return.

  While others think a higher standard of :living would make life more interesting, ' so. they 'secure a second: job, put the wife to work, get a bigger house, a newer car and higher payment.  That kind of escape is leaping from the "frying pan into the fire" because it only gives you more comfortable surroundings for your misery. The higher standard of living makes you a slave. How ironic to work eighteen hours a day to pay for all the labor saving devices

  Its interesting that Sweden has one of the highest standards of living and also the highest suicide rate in the world. On the other hand Africa, has the lowest standard and the lowest suicide rate. You can never truly buy your way out of boredom.

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  Face it! Most of our efforts only aggravate the problem, they are attempts to escape by running. One day we'll have to stop running, and when we do, boredom will strike again.

  If we stop long enough to take a good look at boredom we will discover God has provided a way out. You say, "I sure hope so, because my home remedies aren't working; I'm tired of running."

  The solution to boredom is not found in a constant change of circumstances, but in a change of attitude toward the circum­stances.

  The first step to curing boredom is: Recognize that God's plan for your life does not include boredom. This is a basic step. Many Christians see God as some sort of cosmic killjoy floating around on a pink cloud looking for Christians who are happy. Once found, He takes immediate steps to make them miserable.

  Jesus spoke pointedly to this when He said "- - - - I cam that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." (John 10:10)

  Did Jesus say He come to make a life a drag? No! Christians convey this idea because they have a warped view of God. Jesus promised two things: Spiritual life in the "new birth" and life that was meaningful. Like any Father, God, our heavenly Father, wants us to experience a life that is full and meaningful with purpose and direction.

  God reaches beyond our circumstances and meets the basic need. He doesn't-promise us a new job with more excitement;^--^­a new place^-to live' where neighbors' are more friendly, a^-new mate who is more understanding; more money to buy things_. These things will not solve the problem nor lift the pressure that squeezes the joy out of living.

  God makes us new people with new views of life. When we trust Christ, He gives us new minds, new emotions, and new wills equipping us to see life from a different perspective. God gives life, new life, not new circumstances.

  God's purpose in salvation is not to make us miserable. We do that to ourselves. He came to give life with meaning.

  Second: Realize that where you are is God's will. Elijah is a good case in point. He came from obscurity to the courts of Ahab. Immediately God directed him to go hide by a stream in the desert (I kings 17). He spent months sitting by the brook alone, being fed by the birds. Think about it! Day after day, he had nothing to do except wait for the birds to bring his food and watch the stream dry up.

  Nevertheless, Elijah, the "palace man", found joy and contentment in being alone in the desert without daily routines because he knew God had placed him there.

  Our common everyday task is glorified when it is in the will of God. The routine task, no matter how insignificant it seems, is God's will for your life at this moment: so ENJOY IT! Go ahead; enjoy it! Stop looking at it as a cross to be borne.

  It may be that you are in a job you know is not God's will for you. If that's the case, you can never hope to be free from boredom until you find the job God has for you. Unless you have leading from God to the contrary, the job you now have is God's will for your life. When you realize your job is God's will for your life at the present, it will change your attitude toward your circumstances.

  Then ask yourself who are you working for? You might say, "I'm doing it for the man who signs my check," or "I'm keeping the house clean for my husband, but he doesn't appreciate it." No wonder you are bored; you are working for the wrong person. Too many go astray because they are working for the employer or mate rather than God. It isn't the job you do, but for whom you do it that makes it worthwhile.

  Paul gave some practical advice when he said, "----In all things obey those who are your master on earth, not with exter­nal service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do,^-do your work. heartily, as for the Lord rather than, for men; knowing: that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance." (Col. 3:22 -24 )

  "It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. (Col:.3:24) No matter what you work at, all work large and small, excit­ing or routine is for God not man. Seek God's approval first and this should alter your attitude toward your task of life.

  When we murmur and complain about our job or station in life, we are doing it against God. God will judge us by the job we do.

  Once you realize that where you are in god's will for your life, it will halt the search for happiness elsewhere; you know it can't be found anywhere else.

  Third: Personalize your work: Much of the boredom results from feeling we are only part of the machinery. Impersonaliza­tion robs us of our sense of worth. Everything we do should be done for the person of Jesus Christ. Paul declared, "- - - whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Co. 3:17)

  Would dishwashing be easier if they were God's dishes? The housewife with a pile of dishes in the sink if they were God's dishes would it be easier? Would:^-.it be easier if He wanted you to do them? Thinking about doing His dishes gives us a new view of a boring job. Once you can realize this, you are doing God's work, it will add a personal touch of infinite worth to the task.

  Finally, when you are doing a job, don't just involve your hands, put yourself into the work.

  Paul advises, "----do your work heartily, as for the Lord (Col. 3:23). Even lowly chores seem light when our hearts are in it. such an attitude makes a world of difference between two people working side by side. One may be enduring the grind, while the other is enjoying his work. Why? One has his heart in the work, while the other involves only his hands.

  How can you possibly put your heart into your job? Look at your job as a personal assignment for Christ, and it will take on new dimensions. Personalize your work in that way, and boredom will beat a hasty retreat.

  Everyday we walk along^-,the brink of boredom and with little effort, can slip over the edge and be caught in boredom's quicksand. Escape comes not by straggling and changing circumstances, but by changing attitudes to the circumstances.

  Boredom involves deliberate, usually unconscious neglect and rejection of non- developed and yearning aspects of ourselves.

  Boredom simply cannot exist when we are actively engaged in the process of continuing growth through recognition and de­velopment of real resources in ourselves. But for this to take place self-respect is necessary. This means all aspects of self. Boredom represents rejection of one's proclivities and possibilities. It stems from neglect of real resources, which in turn, will bring about a self-hate.

  Compassion is the only antidote to self hate and the only human prerogative and alternative to neurotic despair.

  Compassion is any and all thoughts, feelings, moods, in­sights and actions that serve the interest of actual self. These include all functions and protects, sustains and enhances actual self.

  Compassion is enhanced wherever and whenever consciousness displaces repression and unconsciousness and reality replaces unreality.

  Compassion, as with all other human entities, can only exist on a relative basis, but the battle for compassion is the most life-affirming endeavor of all.

  Compassion is, ultimately, a state of mind in which bene­volence reigns supreme and in which a state of grace is estab­lished with ourselves.

  I found out that human efforts, struggles and insights are at best intellectual, superficial and minimal value without compassion. At worst, they become perverted and used in the service of misery. Relative psychic peace can only exist in a compassionate emotional climate.

  To move into full compassion we must learn to destroy the illusions we live with.

  Illusions can be discovered each time we discover a pride position in ourselves. A gut feeling of change in ourselves takes place when we struggle and succeed to any degree in under­standing foolish pride. Discovery of illusion can be followed by almost spontaneous surrender of illusion.

We are, for the most part, illusion-free if we can comfort­ably and happily, but without resignation, picture our current here-and-now condition as being the one we live with, without vast changes in the future. That is not to say that change and growth are not certainly possible and often desirable. But com­passionate, non-illusionary, realistic change and growth are invariably connected to good feelings about here and now. En­visioned changes dreamed up in hatred of current life in the here and now , are usually full of Heaven-on-Earth illusionary embroidery and are never satisfactory. If you like here and now living and if the finite facts of life and death are neither insulting, disgusting nor terrifying to you, chances are ex­cellent that your illusions on all levels have indeed been signi­ficantly neutralized.

  Its never too late to do something to change ones life and thinking, life is important too, as it should be.

  Involvement and evolvement rather than achievement or ac­complishment is important to understand compassion.

  Compassion is a way of life.

  I AM BECAUSE I AM! Means I exist because I exist and need no justification whatsoever for my existence. The fact of my being is enough. I require no terms, conditions or permits from myself or anyone else. I live and in living, I am fully entitled to go on living. My life, my existence, my being is not predi­cated on standards, values, achievements or accomplishments. I am not because of books, money I earn, degrees conferred, children I have. I am with or without these accouterments. These things and people are not me! I do not exist because of them. Relative to my life, they exist because of me. While they may give me ^-satisfaction, they in no way justify my existence. How do I feel? is a very important question as applied to people, issues, myself and especially as to my state of well being.

  My thoughts, feelings, ideas and opinions are important because they are mine and not because I have achieved any special status in this world. In a state of grace with my self, I do not abandon myself when the going gets tough or should others find me antithetical in any way in their frames of reference. Loyalty means care and kindness at all times.

  I readily consult with other people in making important decisions. But I approach them only after I have first approach­ed myself and I consult myself again for my own decision after all consultations with others. In my life I must be the final authority, whatever expertise I choose to get from others.

  The free relationships of consult with others enriches my life to no ends, to make changes in the I AM -  -­

  This "I" is dedicated to the belief in myself and in all my individual self-identifying characteristics and proclivities. Change for this "I" involves choice, not compulsion. I do not change myself because others consider me bad or perverse. I change only because I have determined that I want to change. I have decided that change is good for me. Otherwise, I retain my status quo however perverse any of my particular character­istic or attributes may be judged to be within our cultural frame of reference.

  I am not dead, I am alive, self acceptance is the essence of integration, born of need to comply with inner and outer dictates. So I don't deaden any aspects of myself. Energy and time are not diverted, wasted in useless rituals of illusions.

  I need, I want, I choose, my needs must be taken seriously. I cannot let my needs be a source of embarrassment to me for they come from me. I am human and therefore have needs as others do.

  Life is a process. I am smack in the middle of living process all the time. I should always do my best because it is an ex­pression of me at any given time. Therefore, whatever I do is my signature. I should do this because its not a performance or a frame of reference for judgmental deeds.

  I must come to understand that I alone have the right to say NO or YES. Without this I am a prisoner of others. It takes away my ability to selective ideas to accept or reject matters.

  The same with life and death there’s a right to this matter through choices.

  Life is tough! How can it be otherwise? As people we are more than complex: We are also the most sensitive, vulnerable and aware creatures on earth.

  As humans we are blessed with a capacity to communicate. Knowledge and fear of the finiteness of life and communication breakdown often make great fear.

  Knowing life is tough it is an extremely valuable and com­passionate process. Just knowing this and accepting it as part of life process makes living easier and better.

  Reality is the best friend of compassion. We can't climb every mountain and cross every river and anticipate every pit­fall. We are some times right and often wrong. We must fight for the right to be wrong, to fail. In this way we don't make life tougher than it is and we become tougher and stronger by giving ourselves these human rights, these rights enhance our flexibility, and being able to bend, we don't break and crack of rigidity.

  Compassion make life easier, but it is in no way a retreat from life nor is it an easy road to take.