It was my turn to be a help in children's church. The leaders were presenting the Gospel message and I caught myself rehashing the Gospel message a little ahead of them in my head with a blah, blah, blah attitude as if to say "okay, I got it, move on!" Then I came to myself. My heart hurt when I realized I had become bored of the Gospel.
You may think that I live in the South and have heard it all my life so it's not surprising. I have lived here most of my life, but was Catholic most of my growing up years. However, went to Windy Gap camp one summer and accepted the Lord Jesus as my Savior. But, when I got back home, although I was excited and believed, I pretty much went the same way in life except my conscience guided me or convicted me for a few years before I knew how to walk out my faith. Then as a young mom, I came to the end of myself, and in my 1984 Mazda truck in the work parking lot on my lunch hour listening to "Focus on the Family" I surrendered my all to the Lord and wanted more. I wanted to grow in my faith. Those first years following that moment were exciting years. I was studying God's Word, continually being amazed at His Grace towards me, soaking in sermons from the pulpit, and joy was overflowing from my heart. Although I still had many struggles, they seemed such light afflictions compared to what Christ was doing in me. He was with me, and I knew it.
Now I am older, and I see many older Christians becoming cynical towards the church. In fact, statistics show a larger portion of the population that call themselves Christians no longer feel they need to be a part of a church. And I get being disappointed in the church, because we are just people in the Church. People are messy. We get it wrong and we fail a lot. But the Scriptures are clear.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church
and gave himself up for her, Eph 5:25
Hebrews 10:24-25 says 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another
on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together,
as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—
and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Because Christ loves the Church, and I want to not give up meeting together, I will continue to go to Church to be challenged, to have opportunities to learn, and to encourage one another towards love and good deeds as I look towards the return of Jesus. I wonder if the walking away from the fellowship of other Christians is not only from hurts, but getting bored of the Gospel.
Although I was guarding myself from becoming a negative, cynical person, I didn't see the boredom creeping up in my life. Scarier thought for me was if I'm bored of the Gospel, why should my children and grandchildren be excited about the Good News?
Fortunately for the Grace of the Lord that convicts us, it grieved me that I would get bored over the greatest gift of all. It grieved me that this news wasn't being treasured in my heart. Most of all, it grieved me how it would grieve my Savior that I would yawn at the news of His sacrifice.
What was the cure for my boredom? Although I don't want to be like Lot's wife and look back because I think I'm missing something. I do want to look back and remember the joy of my salvation. I wanted to remember, really remember, who I was before Jesus saved me. I want to remember the guilt I felt for my many sins, and the freedom I felt when Christ flooded my heart with His Spirit. I want to recall the excitement of the Gospel. Secondly, I purposed to stop myself the moment I feel that ho-hum yawn towards the things of God and pray for the Lord to light the fire in my heart again, and flood my soul anew with the joy of my salvation. Lastly, I pray the Lord will not allow me to become a comfortable, cynical, complacent Christian, and that He will remind me daily of the Gift that He is. Because, if we really embrace the Truth of the Gospel, we will never be bored, but should be the happiest people of all!!
