You Asked For It – Is Being A Christian Boring?

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” – Matthew 5:12

As a side note, I hope you have enjoyed the You Asked For It series as much as I have. And I hope this was a time of reflection, discovery and open discussion as we have delved into the questions you submitted on God and Christianity. What I wanted was for us to discover together a deeper love for God and His word and the encouragement and excitement that can be found as we study and look at these questions in the Word. Through this devotional and our interactions, I also want us to search our hearts to find ways to better serve God.

With that said let’s look at the question: Is the Christian life boring? I’m not surprised that people think you have to have a personality and fun bypass done when you become a Christian. Everybody either knows or has known a Christian who is prim and proper with no sense of humor. The general perception of Christians is that fun is forbidden and smiling is measured. Most people believe that if you were not boring before you became a Christian, chances are you will become boring once you are a Christian. They see the transition as mandatory.

But are we boring? Is serving God boring. Think about Jesus for a minute. Jesus was God’s Son, living in God’s world, God’s way. If Christian life is boring, then Jesus logically has to be really boring. The complete opposite is true—people couldn’t get enough of him. He got invited to parties with some undesirable people—prostitutes, drunkards, tax collectors. And it wasn’t because he behaved like them. No, it was because he loved them, he listened to them, and he wanted them to know how life with God could be enjoyed to the fullest.

Jesus Christ was anything but boring. He was national news. When Pilate handed Christ over for death it wasn’t for spreading gloom and hopelessness. He was too dangerously fascinating, created too much excitement. “Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (John 12:19) said the jealous Pharisees. “The large crowd listened to him with delight.” (Mark 12:37). Guards came to capture Him but were captivated by Him. They explained, “No one ever spoke the way this man does.” (John 7:46)

Boring? Only God in the flesh can make an event that happened thousands of year ago seem like it just took place. No person ever encountered Jesus willingly or unwillingly that their lives remained the same. Jesus and following Jesus is anything but boring.

Some people assume that being a Christian is boring because they’ve heard that Christians have to give up all the “fun” things in life. It’s true that Christians give up some things, but it’s not the fun. Christians give up their sin. In return, they receive “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17). They “live as children of light” in a dark world (Ephesians 5:8). The mistakes of their past no longer have a stronghold in their lives. They serve others and make a difference. They are becoming everything that God created them to be. It is virtually impossible to be bored in such a life.

The only thing in this world that has eternal value is a relationship with Jesus Christ. A growing, committed Christian will find that life is never boring. There’s always another step of faith to take, another relationship to build, another person to serve.

Discussion Questions:

1. How many people can you name in the Bible whose life was boring? How many can you name whose life was anything but boring?
2. If your main goal in life were to have fun, what would you do with your time right now?
3. What do you think God wants you to do with your time right now? Why do you think He wants you to do that?
4. Do you think Christianity is boring? Do you think Jesus was boring? Why or why not?
5. Do you think heaven will be boring?