Tripp Atkinson - The Magic of March Madness
Maybe you know the feeling… sitting on the edge of your seat, palms clenched, breath held, hopeful, and poised to jump in the air at any moment with arms raised to the ceiling in victory. Yep, it’s March Madness!
If you have a team in the “Big Dance” you know exactly what I’m talking about. You understand the intense hope, anticipation, and sincere belief that the “impossible” really could happen. Your emotions are overcome with nervous expectancy and cautious optimism that your team could take you on a ride like you’ve never been on. Even if your team didn’t make the tournament, you can still easily be pulled into the excitement. If you tune in, you will no doubt see upsets, thrilling finishes, and dreams coming true. You may even find yourself adopting the underdog team, and cheering them through the gauntlet of Goliaths.
The “magic” of March Madness is this… the impossible can happen, and usually does! And we LOVE it! We all long to see “miracles.” We all love to have hope, and are captivated by things that have never been done. The raw and uncontrolled emotion of athletes who are living their dream draws in a multitude of bystanders who want to be a part of their journey.
While March Madness is certainly thrilling, we don’t have to wait until March to experience the anticipation of miracles and the reality of living beyond our wildest dreams. In fact, as a follower of Jesus, living in this reality should be the norm. Consider the words of Paul in Ephesians 3,
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. - Ephesians 3:20
We may read this passage and say we believe it. Sure, we know in our head that God can do the impossible. But I wonder if we are living life on the edge of our seats anticipating and expecting God to “accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” I wonder if we are poised to leap into the air with excitement and praise as we see God working miracles in and through us. I wonder if we are willing to be so in the moment of what God is doing, that our raw and uncontrolled emotion is visible to a multitude of bystanders.
Notice that the accomplishing of the “infinity more” is done “through his mighty power at work within us.” In the preceding verses Paul prays for four things that his reader may have that are tied to God’s power at work. These four things appear to be conditions through which God does “infinitely more” through the follower of Christ. Paul prays,
- May God empower you with inner strength through the Holy Spirit Vs. 16
- Then Christ will make his home in your heart as you trust him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Vs. 17
- May you have the power to understand the magnitude of God’s love. (You won’t fully understand God’s love and live in God’s love until it is rooted in your heart.) Vs. 18
- May you experience the love of Christ, (though it is too great to fully understand) Vs. 19
Paul says, “Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
The empowering of the Holy Spirit leads to Christ making a home in our hearts, which leads to abundant love, which leads to God’s fullness and power in us. Whenever we have been empowered by the Holy Spirit, indwelt by Christ, mastered by love, and filled with the fullness of God, then he is able to “accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
This all begins with submitting our lives to Christ and yielding to the work and power of his Spirit in us. Do you want to see God do the impossible in your life?
Make these four things your prayer today…
- God, I yield to the work and power of your Holy Spirit in my life today.
- I trust Christ as he resides in and rules my heart today.
- May I live in the understanding and reality of the magnitude of spiritual things that make no earthly sense, and
- May the fullness of Christ’s love be demonstrated in and through me today.
As we do these things, may our expectations be raised. Let’s ever live in anticipation of God doing more in us and through us than we might ask or think. Let’s live our lives on the edge of our seats with eyes and heart wide open. And may our arms be ever ready to raise high in celebration and praise!
May we enter church this week knowing that God is going to move. May we approach our daily time with God with the same excitement and anticipation of seeing things beyond what we can imagine. Let’s live our lives today expecting God to work in us and through us as we yield to his power and presence in us.
As we do, we will never have to stop dancing and our very lives will be the “one shining moment” everyone longs to see. (Only basketball fans will understand that last reference.)
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Tripp Atkinson is a pastor, speaker, writer, and coach that uses his giftedness and unique life experiences to challenge a generation of student to discover and live God’s best for their lives. He currently serves as the Student Pastor at Sugar Hill Church in the metro Atlanta area. He has previously served as the Student Minister at First Baptist Church Columbia SC for over ten years, and before that was the Youth Minister at Pawleys Island Community Church in Pawleys Island, SC. Tripp has been in Youth Ministry for over 20 years and love encouraging and equipping other leaders in Youth Ministry. For more information about Tripp Atkinson or to connect, be sure to check out his website at http://trippatkinson.com/.
To inquire about getting Tripp to speak at your church, school conference or event, please contact Tripp at http://trippatkinson.com/have-tripp-come-speak/