Core scripture: “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” (Proverbs 13:4)

Message: Boredom.  Now there is a dangerous word.  When you get bored, you begin to look to worldly idols to keep you occupied.  You snack because there is nothing else to do.  You binge watch Netflix.  You play around on Facebook.  You nap.  You get stuck in YouTube rabbit holes, clicking around until you realize you just lost an hour of your day.

Sound familiar?  Sure does to me.  Quarantine has amplified my boredom to new heights.  You know you are bored when—dare I say this?  Oh yes, I shall—you finish Tiger King on Netflix in a little over a week’s time.  As much as I love watching Joe Exotic bash Carol Baskin, there is something inside me that craves more.

Time for another list.  You know how in our previous lives we always said we don’t have time to do something … Guess what?  Now we do!  Ladies and gents, I give you 10 ways to crush boredom during quarantine.

1. Write a letter. Who needs to hear from you?  Who have you not communicated with in a while.  Go old school, and write that person a letter.  You should have seen my son’s face when he got a short letter/picture yesterday from a good friend at school.
2. Read a Christian book. This could be your favorite Christian author, a devotional, or even the Bible.  Find a quiet place to dive into a good book and read.
3. Explore a new nature path. Get out and see God’s creation.  Two weeks ago my family found a scenic two-mile loop that led us to a creek.  My youngest spotted a snake—so cool!—and my oldest became a professional rock skipper.
4. Clean. Find something you don’t normally have time to do, and crank it out!  Dust those blinds.  Sweep the garage clean.  Scrub the mildew off the bathroom floor.  I promise that the feeling of accomplishment will override the work you put in!
5. Call someone. My Auntie Martha is 94-years-old, she lives in a nursing home in Colorado, and she craves human interaction.  When I called her the other week and talked to her for an hour, I was told I made her entire week.
6. Reinvent family game night. While stuck in the basement yesterday with my wife on a Zoom call, my youngest and I played about 10 games of Guess Who.  We cracked up over the pictures and had a blast imitating the faces of the characters.
7. Organize a Zoom call. Our family had two Zoom calls with my wife’s family and my family on Easter.  The dynamics were totally different, but each call had the same effect: they connected us together.  Go connect with someone!
8. Take a trash walk. Grab a plastic bag, gather the family, put some rubber gloves on, and patrol your neighborhood for trash.  The main roads will likely elicit plenty of options for you, and you’ll get some exercise as you work.
9. Watch an old family movie. Maybe it is your wedding day.  Maybe it is your trip to the Grand Canyon.  Maybe it is just bath time from when the kids were 2-years-old.  Let this moment be a vault into the past to bring up smiles and memories.
10. Have a dance party. Blast some fun music and get your groove on.  I visited a church friend when he was doing this with his family as I walked in.  They were jumping, dancing, and laughing together.  I almost wanted to join them!

Challenge: Which of the above tricks might work for you?  Figure them out and practice them.  Get your lists ready, and begin checking them off.  Fight boredom with productivity, and do something about it!

Song application: “Do Something” by Matthew West

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_RjndG0IX8

I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now, thought
How’d we ever get so far down, and
How’s it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, “God, why don’t You do something?”
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”
He said, “I did, yeah, I created you” (now listen)

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something, yeah
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
Oh, it’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

Just for fun: Pick a face below from Guess Who and see if you can recreate it.  My son and I loved trying to be Brandon.  I guess you had to be there. 😊

Prayer: Lord, help me be productive with the time You bless me with.  May I use my time to further Your kingdom.  Amen.