Is there anything worse than being bored? If you asked me kids that question, the answer is “No.” Whenever they get bored, they announce it loudly and in an accusatory tone, like I’ve failed as a parent. I respond with mock sympathy, “Oh, that’s awful. I have some chores you can do.”
The reason I’m not worried about their boredom is I know on some level it’s good for them. And after reading an interview on the topic with education expert, Kevin Gary, I feel justified. He writes:
“My kids, when they were smaller, would say they were bored and it was so tempting, as a parent, to give them an electronic device to distract them. But sometimes I wouldn’t. I’d just let them be bored. And they would hit a wall, and find new possibilities. At the other side of boredom was an explosion of creativity.”
Gary also talks about the benefits of boredom in church. Read the interview: You Should Be Bored in Church.
Boredom is also a perquisite to spiritual growth. Check out our resource on Spiritual Formation. It includes primers on disciplines that may start out as boring, but ultimately help you and the people you lead become more like Christ.
