Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Was Jesus Ever Bored?

I'm currently reading The Gospel According to Starbucks by Len Sweet. The book, in a nutshell, is about how much of what we love in the Corporate Java Giant represents the kind of life Jesus expects of his followers. (Okay, that's a vast oversimplification, and Len might not be too happy with that synopsis, but it's the best I got after a day of teaching fourth graders.)

So, there's one line that grabbed me and just keeps coming back to me: "Do you think Jesus ever got bored?" My loud answer is "NO! Of course Jesus never got bored." But what bothers me is what that says about my life. Why do I at times find myself bored? Maybe it's because I don't have the clarity of purpose and personal life mission that Jesus did. Maybe it's because I get myself involved with stuff that isn't worth my time. Maybe I don't always have a razor sharp focus on what my life is about. Maybe I don't listen as carefully to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as Jesus did.

The hardest answer, and maybe the most truthful, is that sometimes I am going through the motions. I am doing all the things I am supposed to be doing. I am working hard, being there for my wife and kids, showing love to other people, but I'm on autopilot, cruise control. And when I fall into that slump, I get bored. No more autopilot, cruise control faith for me. From now on, boredom is a warning signal, a sign that I need to refocus on what God has put me here for. From now on, boredom is a sin for me, and I don't intend to wallow in it for very long.

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