Word Count: 298
I applied my heart to now, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness (Eccl. 7:25 NKJV).
March. Men’s basketball fans associate this month with March Madness, NCAA’s Division tournament of 68 teams in seven rounds shooting for a national championship.
From a bleacher view, I see how our world represents a proverbial game of madness. Opposing teams. Two head coaches. High-priced junk food. Noisy crowds, whistles, beat-the clock paces. It’s difficult to feature one or two key players when fans, a band, mascots, cheerleaders, and vendors holler for attention.
Ecclesiastes 7:25 calls a time-out. This scriptural playbook says, “I concentrated with all my might, studying and exploring and seeking wisdom–the meaning of life. I also wanted to identify evil and stupidity, foolishness and craziness.”
I support teams. I embrace partnerships in my writing, speaking and life coaching businesses, but I question how much sweat equity is worth an extended madness season. Is the media hype worth the acclaimed build toward some untouchable platform? Do I desperately throw half-court shots to beat an invisible clock? Nobody’s birth certificate has an end-of-game time.
Blow the whistle. Time to pivot. Will I accept torn muscles to compete in overtime? What else gets starved when I’ve come to think that I need to frequently share, fuel my newsfeed, and create fresh content? I recognize this madness approach is not how I’m designed to run life’s race.
I’ve slowly discovered that publicity fast-breaks aren’t a healthy daily practice. I can stay at the top of my game and allow others to carry the ball. It’s ok to sit on the bench sometimes. Well-executed layups can make shots. I gain victory when I position my Head Coach at center court.
What about you? What part of your life represents March Madness? What game changes will you make to become your MVP?
Running a race to end in Eternal overtime,
Christina