Idleness

I once read that in medeival times, boredom was considered a sin. Sounds harsh, but the explanation is sound. Actually, it wasn't called boredom. It was called ennui, and was married to sloth. Sloth, is idleness.



Of course, this needs to be qualified. Simple daydreaming is not boredom in the chronic sense. The ennui type of boredom is a prolonged detatchment and emotional flatness. This leads to and come from idleness in a self-defeating cycle. When one is always bored, it is hard to accomplish things, which makes us less engaged and more bored, and so forth into depression. So in this sense, idleness certainly is a sin.



Now I am far from judging by stating that idleness is sin. Sin is the Christian word for things against God's plan...against the natural order, as it were. And we have all sinned, done things that are not according to the good and true purposes. Therefore, I am not judging by saying this. I'm simply calling a spade a spade.



For modern people, I think boredom is prevalent because for most of us in the developed world, daily survival is not an issue. For those who live in that mode, this is not even a pertinent topic. Anyone in that kind of lack has a right to a better life and some leisure. But for those of us who are already blessed with this lifestyle, we must be on our guard. It is very easy to slip into idleness or self-absorption.

I'm not going to try to define what is acceptable; it is a personal decision that each of us must engage and do as we are led. But I will comment about myself. I am particularly vulnerable to boredom and idleness. I have learned this. When I get bogged down in the mundane, everyday go to work, come home, go to sleep, do it again world, I quickly slide down that hill toward the pit. I learned it way back in high school when I developed certain conditions. After months of trying to figure it out and consulting doctors, I discovered that simply forcing myself out of the every day and into something I could engage solved the problem. For me, getting a job was not a detriment to my schooling, but a saving grace. I recently had a resurgence of symptoms that once again sent me to doctor after doctor and, after running every pertinent test, all coming back perfectly normal, I am convinced that it is the same problem. Though I am not in the rut of high school any more, I am in a very similar rut. Work, home, chores, family, sleep, ad nauseum. To make matters worse, I am now much more sedentary at work (much like in high school).

So, I am addressing it. I am learning to keep busy. To use my hands. I am engaging myself even when I don't feel like getting up. And I know that I need to get more wildness, more adventure. I am not the type to be content in such mundane surroundings. I need to venture out and challenge myself. That's why even a walk in the blazing heat is healing for me. Anytime I can force myself out of that ennui by having to deal with other unavoidable concerns, I feel better. Idle hands truly are the devils' play thing.

Of course, everything in balance. I know people who have similar issues and spend so much time running from their demons that they can't tell which end is up. And as is true with all demons, they will capitalize on any means to ruin us. If that means switching from boredom to hyper-activity, the hellish goads will never cease. If we are truly in the service of our King, and He affords us a period of rest and leisure, it is no sin to avail ourselves of it. He knows more than anyone else how we will be all the more ready to respond to our next task if our lives are in balance.