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I, like many others in the US, fill out my bracket every year. Also I, like many others, spend a little too much time selecting picks, giving the tournament a lot more of my attention than other, far more important things.
This is not to take away from the entertainment aspect of the tournament. Even Solomon, one of the wisest people to live, spoke of the value of this (we’ll come back to this later).
We just need to be aware of our time and where it is going, because time is the only thing we can never get back.
“Therefore, pay careful attention to how you conduct your life — live wisely, not unwisely. Use your time well, for these are evil days. So don’t be foolish, but try to understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Ephesians (Eph) 5:15-17 CJB
Speaking of awareness! I realized during the bracket mayhem this year, that my “stress” level with regards to pick selections had decreased significantly as in years past. Call it maturity, but I decided against spending hours to formulate an algorithm which would model the outcome probability of each game (maybe next year).
Furthermore, my initial realization led to deeper thought on March Madness as a microcosm of bigger, much more important godly topics. And those small albeit thought-provoking analogues are what we will delve into today.
At the least, I hope you walk away with some entertainment value… 🙂
Early “Losses”
First and foremost, this year I was also far less worried about the results of the first round. Sure, it’s rough if your final four team (let alone your championship team) goes out in the first round. But think about it. Does it really matter?
And I’m not talking about the big picture yet. I’m talking about the actual, typical points system and typical results in pools at the very end. In most cases, the first round games are only worth 1 point, whereas the later rounds are worth 2, 4, on up to 32 points! So that means that if you select the champion, it makes up for missing nearly the entire first round!
I’ll let that sink in for a second… (read: who is our Champion)
Point being, learn from your challenges and failures but don’t dwell on them. And remember, the next move matters more than your last. If you haven’t come to know the true glory and grace of God, there’s no time like the present.
“But not only that, let us also boast in our troubles; because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope; and this hope does not let us down, because God’s love for us has already been poured out in our hearts through the Ruach HaKodesh who has been given to us.”
Romans (Rom) 5:3-5 CJB
“How blessed is the man who perseveres through temptation! For after he has passed the test, he will receive as his crown the Life which God has promised to those who love him.”
Ya’akov (Jas) 1:12 CJB
https://bible.com/bible/1275/jas.1.12.CJB
The Bigger Picture
There’s a good book entitled “Don’t sweat the small stuff” by Richard Carlson. Spoiler alert, the points in this round are in the title.
But related to our March Madness discussion, think about how many small things go wrong in the tournament…
Your team goes down by 15 in the first half, the opposing team hits a clutch three-pointer in the last minute, or even your final four team goes out in the Sweet Sixteen. If we focus on these things, we can turn any of them into massive problems, even causing us physical stress.
I may be exaggerating a bit here, but if you zoom out on any of these topics, think about these in the grand scheme of life or our world at-large. Somewhat laughable, but also disheartening, think about describing this as a problem to others in the world. Especially those less fortunate!
Now think about any of your other “problems” in the same light. Do they really matter or are you just “zoomed in” too much? What’s in focus?
Sometimes it really is all about framing. For example, try to frame a problem from the perspective, what is the absolute worst thing that could happen. Sometimes we blow things out of proportion. We make mountains out of molehills. We make monsters out of the minutiae.
“Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua.”
Philippians (Php) 4:6-7 CJB
““Therefore, I tell you, don’t worry about your life — what you will eat or drink; or about your body — what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds flying about! They neither plant nor harvest, nor do they gather food into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they are? Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to his life?”
Mattityahu (Mat) 6:25-27 CJB
Side note: stress is a major predictor of longevity (look it up). A little stress may be okay, even good. But too much stress wreaks havoc on our system. There is a lot of godly wisdom now being proven by science…
Distractions = Less Points
Now before I get to the happy part…the sad part is that all of this madness means nothing. And I say that in the most humbling, uplifting way, albeit difficult to hear. The entire tournament, the brackets, the games, the points, the money you may receive if you “win.” IT IS ALL MEANINGLESS.
“Pointless! Pointless! — says Kohelet — Utterly meaningless! Nothing matters! What does a person gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?”
Kohelet (Ecc) 1:2-3 CJB
And while Solomon in the above quote is not specifically talking about March Madness, it is surely covered in his diatribe.
Point of the pointless here is that everything we do here fades away. One tournament leads to another. Paper brackets of the past are thrown into the trash. I mean, realistically, does anyone even remember who won 10 years ago, let alone who they picked!
The word for pointless used above in Hebrew is “hevel.” This is the same Hebrew word for Cain’s brother, who we commonly call “Able” in English. His Hebrew name is actually Hevel.
Does that provide some better emphasis and context here…?
While Hevel did not live out his full life, there are many messages from this. For one, it is a direct message to us, not to lose sight of the bigger picture. Don’t live life focused on the wrong things or distractions. Don’t live oblivious to the true value of things. Don’t live in envy of others. Don’t just live, LIVE.
And while things in this life may be meaningless, the real points come in the next life. One that is eternal and does not wither away.
“You have been born again not from some seed that will decay, but from one that cannot decay, through the living Word of God that lasts forever. For all humanity is like grass, all its glory is like a wildflower — the grass withers, and the flower falls off;”
1 Kefa (1 Pe) 1:23-24 CJB
But we can make the most of it!
Now the good part…not only can we be born twice and only die once (the inverse is true too), we can experience God’s glory in all that we do. We can stop to smell the roses, we can focus on all the right things, and we can have a blast while doing it!
“So go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God has already accepted your deeds. Let your clothing always be white, and never fail to perfume your head. Enjoy life with the wife you have loved throughout your meaningless life that he has given you under the sun, all the days of your futility; for that is your allotted portion in life and in your labor that you work at under the sun. Whatever task comes your way to do, do it with all your strength; because in Sh’ol, where you will go, there is neither working nor planning, neither knowledge nor wisdom.”
Kohelet (Ecc) 9:7-10 CJB
There are some very deep messages in what Solomons is saying, but we will have to return to this in a later post.
The point to takeaway, and the point of the tournament metaphor is we can choose to live in the Madness, embracing the chaos and inevitable decay of this world, or we can focus on the world to come.
And while we focus on the world to come, we can collect points, and treasure the good times. Live in the moment, but with a heart for the future. Align your thoughts and actions with God, and you will realize the rewards both in this life and the next. Just make sure you don’t store up your treasures in this world, and hide behind your rewards. Your rewards are meant to be shared with those around you for the glory of God.
We are symbiotic beings, that depend on the greater community. We can’t lose sight on the bigger picture. There is a reason that the Shepherd metaphor is ubiquitous in the Bible. It is the best picture of our collective needs and our passing through this life, grazing on things in our path, while moving forward in the footsteps of our Great Shepherd.
It matters how we live. Be aware and do it well, and our Father in Heaven will be pleased.
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NIV
“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 8:15 NIV
Takeaways to make a way…
-Don’t sweat the small stuff (or early losses)
-Reframe your ‘problems’
-Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture
-Share, share, share
-Enjoy life
-Fear God and keep his commands
Further Study with your Buddy…
Go back to Part 1 of this study if you haven’t read it (or even if you have). It’s called “Purpose & Perseverance Part 1: Finding your Calling, Purpose or Gift…“
For another type of distraction and an alternative way to view them, read Divine Distractions.
Questions for Reflection…
Are you caught up in the madness or aware of it all?
How can you reframe your biggest ‘problem’?
What are the ‘little things’ or losses that you perhaps dwell on a little too much (still)?
How can you enjoy life more and live your fullest potential?
What should you be sharing with others?
Do you fulfill your duty to God?
godlyyy 