Have you noticed how almost everything in our society today is focused on entertainment? Our lifestyles push us so that we do not have much downtime at all, and much of the time we spend engaged in activity is centered on keeping us entertained. Sports have become a multibillion dollar industry, regardless of the level. For instance, the NFL alone reported $14.2 billion in revenue in 2017 with a goal of increasing that to $25 billion by 2027, and preteen travel leagues have families running year round chasing dreams of college scholarships. Video games have increasingly competed for the time and attention of not only kids and teenagers, but adults as well. You are just as likely to run into a 30-something year old man in the video game aisle as you are a 13-year-old boy. Then there are the TV and movie streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu (with more launching soon, including an offering from Disney). Each have apps for your phone, tablet, computer, and smart TV so that no matter where you are, you don’t have to miss a moment of your favorite movies or shows…or spend a moment of your time un-entertained.
Yet with so many options vying for our time and attention (with the bulk of them being entertainment focused, no less), we find ourselves increasingly…bored. A recent study sponsored by the bowling alley chain Bowlero found that American adults report spending 131 days per year bored. Perhaps unsurprisingly given that result, about 60% of the adults surveyed said that they believed their lives were too “grown-up,” and that they would rather be doing things that they missed from their childhoods. Over half said they would rather have “fewer responsibilities” (who wouldn’t?).
As believers, we recognize that God’s created order for life includes certain seasons. Childhood is a wonderful time when we grow through our exploration of the world under the watchful and loving care of our family and church. There are not many responsibilities during this period of life, but as we grow older, our responsibilities begin to expand. Then, during early adulthood, we work to establish a career path and a family, and again, both the number and the intensity of our responsibilities grow. As Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” The God-ordained natural process for human beings is one of maturing, which includes learning to set aside our desires to be constantly entertained (a “childish way”) in the face of greater things.
What are some of those greater things? Here are a few:
- Bible study. I have heard it said that social media was allowed by God in order to demonstrate that no one has the excuse that they “didn’t have the time” to study the Bible. Ouch.
- Prayer. How is it possible to be bored when we are speaking with the Sovereign Creator and King of the universe, who we can approach as our Heavenly Father?
- Fellowship. The church provides several ministry and fellowship opportunities that have broad appeal. Don’t see anything that strikes your fancy? Have you considered starting something that does?
- Reading/movies/nature/museums/etc. God created us as inquisitive beings. Feed that curiosity with things that glorify Him, and you won’t be bored for long!
- Being still. This one requires more discipline, especially since culture has conditioned us to be constantly on the go. However, taking time to just be still in the presence of God, resting in Him, helps to settle and refocus our minds and spirits on what is really important.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have fun – we should! – but we must remember that our entertainment is not the most important thing God has for us. He wants us to find our joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction in Him, which helps us to properly order everything else – including our entertainment. Just something to think about…
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