Boring!
A teacher wrote, “Why do you like/don’t like math?” and “why?” The student circled “Don’t like” and then wrote, “takes too long,” and “boring!” Why did the student so respond? Is the problem math? Nope. Math helps us keep track of things like money, time, weather, property, and people. Life is a lot easier when we know basic math. It’s practical! This is why we teach children to learn it. The problem is not math, but the attitude toward it.
“Why do you/don’t you like going to church?” Many would respond in the same way. “It takes too long!” “It’s boring!” Many, however, have avoided prison because they remembered, “Thou shalt not murder.” Many have avoided great family strife because they remembered, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Like math, “Going to church” has practical value that will help us avoid tremendous problems if we will listen and obey the teaching. The problem is not “going to church,” but our attitude toward it.
That something is “practical,” however, is still an immature attitude to take toward things of great importance because one is still focusing on the benefit to ME! What can math do for ME? What can “going to church” do for ME? With this attitude, one has not advanced very far from declaring boredom. Boredom is a state of being where we run out of things to entertain the self. It is narcissistic to be bored because the sole focus is ME. Is there a better way? Yes.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Focusing on others helps us to learn math and “go to church.”