Boring is often only a matter of perspective.

I remember taking my grandson shopping. My wife and daughter were trying on clothes, so he and I made our way to a sporting goods store. There was a play area for children outside, so we spent some time there before we went in the store to shop. I should say, before I went in the store to shop. There was nothing in the store that interested him.

I tried to look around, but he kept asking, “When we will be done?” and, “Can we go play outside again?” I asked him to be patient and wait, promising to go outside and play again. I looked in one of the display cabinets and when I looked up, he was gone. I panicked. After a few minutes of searching, I found him sitting behind another case with his head in his hands. “What are you doing? I asked. Without looking up he responded, “trying to wait patiently.” I took his hand and we went outside to play.

In the store, I was excited and deeply interested. He was bored. What I enjoyed was almost tortuous for him. What bored him, excited me. Boring truly was in the eye of the beholder.

Some of our shared Christian journey can seem boring. The worship music may not be our style. The pastor may not preach to our preferences. The readings may leave us uninspired, and the service may seem too long. It is easy to feel bored and disinterested. It is especially challenging in a culture of significant customization, where we can special order exactly what we like. Mingle that with the ever-growing consumer mentality and we begin shopping for churches that tick all of our boxes, and become disengaged from activities that don’t move us.

It this context, it is wise to ask the important questions. Is everything supposed to move me in the same way? Must everything meet my emotional and intellectual expectations? Does boring equal bad?

My grandson lacked the maturity to reflect on those questions while we shopped, but as adults, we can challenge ourselves to look at things through different eyes. I was not particularly excited by the outdoor play area, but I was excited to watch my grandson enjoy himself. The play area wasn’t made for me, but it was created for him, and it was no problem for me to sacrifice my desires for his joy.

What if our spiritual life was embraced with similar eyes? What if, instead of judging experiences based upon how they met our personal desires, we beheld them through they eyes, and needs of others, including God? What if our focus was on the blessings others received? What if our deepest question was, “Does this bring joy to God? Is it possible that what we find boring is what God loves, what others need, even what we need without knowing it?

I once shared a conversation with a woman who sat nearby in a coffee shop. She shared the she was Roman Catholic and attended the 7:30 am Mass at a nearby church. I asked why she chose that service and she replied, “Because the priest can get it done in 15-20 minutes.” After a brief pause she reflected, “That might not be the best reason. I just don’t find it interesting, so I am glad to get it over with.”

We all have things that we want to get through because they do not impact us the way we wish they did. Maybe we don’t fully understand them, maybe we don’t comprehend their significance, maybe we just need to behold them a different way. The fact that we are bored may say more about us that it does about the experience.

Certainly, we should offer God our best in everything we do, and I have endured experiences where the lack of investment was obvious. However, even those moments can yield beauty and blessings if we are open to receive them. If we change our desire from entertainment to encounter, then we begin to open our eyes to behold the One we love and who loves us.

The time with my grandson was immeasurably valuable. I don’t get as much time as I would like to be with him, and I can always shop when he is not around. My goal was not to shop, but to be with him, letting him know that he matters to me and that he is loved. Could it be that, if we approach our spiritual life in the same way, we might behold more than we imagined? Maybe what we find most boring will be the place we behold the greatest vision of God.