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Sometimes one of my kids will say, "I'm bored!"
My usual response is something like, "That's not my
problem!" or "It's your job to do something about it!"
Sometimes Christians get bored of church, Bible class,
worship, or living as a Christian in general.
If you're bored serving God, it should cause you to
pause and ask, "Am I even saved?"
Christians are Fervent
Christians are"fervent in spirit, serving the Lord"
(Rom. 12:11).
"Fervent" means is to be boiling hot. Sometimes we
say a fervent person is on fire, and that a fervent
Christian is on fire for the Lord.
Apollos was a man described as fervent. Notice what
Luke says about this man who was boiling hot for the
Lord:
- He was mighty in the Scriptures (Acts 18:24).
- He spoke out boldly (Acts 18:26).
- He powerfully refuted the Jews in public
(Acts 18:28).
Does it sound like Apollos was bored? How could he
be? He was on fire for the Lord!
Christians are boiling hot and on fire
for the Lord. So if you're bored, you should question
your salvation.
Christians are Zealous
Christians are zealous for what is good.
- "Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous
for what is good" (1 Pet. 3:13)?
- Jesus "gave Himself for us to redeem us from every
lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for
His own possession, zealous for good deeds"
(Tit. 2:14).
"Zealous" means "marked by fervent partisanship for
a person, a cause, or an ideal" (Merriam-Webster
Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 30
July 2009 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zealous).
Synonyms for "zealous" include enthusiastic, eager,
fervent, intense, and passionate.
Vine's Dictionary says that a zealous person is "an
uncompromising partisan," which is much different from
the present-day political doctrine of tolerance.
When it comes to serving God, Christians aren't always
politically correct because God commands us to be zealous.
In other words, we're fervently partisan toward God
and His word.
Now, does it sound like zealous Christians are bored?
How can we be? We're enthusiastic, eager, fervent, intense,
and passionate.
Christians are zealous. So if you're bored, you should
question your salvation.
Bored Christians Don't Repent
Besides a lack of fervency and zeal, bored Christians
should question their salvation because they are unrepentant.
Admonishing the church at Laodicea for lukewarmness,
Jesus says, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline;
therefore be zealous and repent" (Rev. 3:19).
Zeal is necessary for one to repent. We must be enthusiastic,
eager, fervent, intense, and passionate to repent, or
else we'll be satisfied to remain in sin.
So if you're bored, you're not zealous, and you're
not repenting of your sins.
As a result you should question your salvation.
Bored Christians Fall Away
Christians who aren't fervent and zealous no longer
repent of their sins, and therefore fall away.
They have become callous and given themselves over
to sin (Eph. 4:19).
Perhaps this was the case with Demas, of whom Paul
says, "having loved this present world, has deserted
me and gone to Thessalonica" (2 Tim. 4:10).
If you're bored going to church, worshiping God, studying
the Bible, and doing personal work, this should be a
wake up call.
Seriously consider your heart, the lack of fervency
and zeal that's resulted in an unrepentant attitude.
If you've not fallen away, you will soon, unless you
do what Jesus commanded the Laodiceans.
Be zealous and repent!
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