Bored
Word From Wiese
May 20, 2026
Bored.
Do you ever get bored? Even when your schedule is busy, do you find days when your hearts are not in it? Boredom and restlessness are conditions all humans face at times. How do we handle it? Lately, society is offering a very dangerous remedy: the casinofication of life.
LuAnne sometimes calls me “Frugal Fritz.” I’ve only been to Vegas once and I had to force myself to bet $10. Watching shows where contestants risk losing a large sum of guaranteed money for the chance to make even more sends my pulse racing. I can’t do it.
So, I’ve been shocked lately with all the commercials with big names tempting Americans to make easy money and experience thrills with online sporting apps. Kevin Hart, LeBron James, Tom Brady, Gronk, John Hamm—they all invite us to take advantage of free accounts with free starter money to chase our thrills. Everywhere Americans turn, gambling is presented as exciting, harmless, and even sophisticated.
But the money involved is staggering. In recent years, annual sports wagers in the United States have exceeded $150 billion. Because of smart phones’ ubiquity, what was once occasional entertainment has become a constant digital presence and danger in millions of lives.
Have you too been astounded to learn that prediction markets and betting platforms even allow Americans to wager on when wars might begin or end, elections might shift, or global crises might unfold?
But experts increasingly warn that online gambling has become a major public health crisis, especially for young men.
With a young adult son myself and all our great COS middle and high school guys—yes, even many middle schoolers have gambling apps as part of their social scenes–I take note. Studies explain that young adult men were conditioned early through video games and reward systems designed to mimic betting behavior. Their brains are still developing impulse control while also being biologically drawn toward risk-taking and instant rewards. Combined with loneliness, stress, boredom, and economic anxiety, many become vulnerable to addiction.
What are we learning? Gambling addiction can be devastating. Studies have shown it carries one of the highest suicide attempt rates among addictions. Depression, anxiety, secrecy, debt, and broken relationships often follow behind it. Unlike alcohol or drugs, gambling addiction can remain almost invisible until financial ruin or emotional collapse suddenly surfaces. (Several studies suggest that young women turn to shopping instead, but for similar reasons).
Why is this happening?
Back to my opening word. Part of the answer is that gambling no longer feels like gambling. It feels like excitement. Escape. Action. A temporary cure for…boredom.
But beneath all the lights, notifications, and “bonus bets” lurks something much older: the restless human heart. As Christians, we’d point out that in the Gospel of John, Jesus says: “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Yes, there’s a difference between life and mere stimulation and boredom relief. Gambling offers adrenaline, suspense, and momentary escape. But the excitement fades quickly, and our souls demand another hit. Another bet. Another rush. Another distraction.
Faith offers something deeper. The Christian life does not eliminate boredom by flooding us with constant entertainment. Instead, it fills ordinary life with meaning. Yes, it’s a struggle at times, but it’s a rich answer. Prayer reminds us we are not alone. Worship reconnects us to wonder. Service draws us outside ourselves. Community replaces isolation. Purpose replaces drifting. It’s why those struggling in AA are strongly urged to volunteer.
A gambler often asks, “What will make me feel alive for the next few minutes?” A disciple asks, “What kind of person is Christ shaping me to become?” Those are different ways to live. Studies keep pointing to the irony that is many people gamble not because life is unbearable, but because life feels empty. We often reach for distraction because silence forces us to confront our deeper hunger for God.
Yet Scripture teaches that even our restlessness can become an invitation.
As Saint Augustine famously prayed, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
I bring up this subject about gambling’s growing dangers not to condemn those who are doing it. We discuss this with grace, because as humans, we all struggle. But as people of faith, we want to share our hard-won discoveries that the answer to boredom is not endless stimulation. It is deeper engagement with God, people, and creation. The answer to loneliness is not another dopamine rush but authentic fellowship that we hopefully can find at places like COS in worship, events, and small groups.
So, if you feel bored or restless today, pay attention to that feeling. Don’t immediately numb it. Don’t automatically scroll, click, wager, or chase another distraction. Perhaps, sometimes boredom is actually our hearts reminding us that we were made for something more. And we can turn to the Lord, and not the gambling app or the online purchase, to explore what that might be.
In Christ’s hope,
Pastor Fritz
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, our one sure bet in life, when our hearts feel restless, keep us from chasing thrilling but often dangerous distractions that cannot truly satisfy. Fill our boredom with purpose, our loneliness with community, and our anxiety with trust in your care. Be with those especially struggling. Help us all become people rooted not in impulse, but in your peace and guidance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
