MARCH MADNESS

It's time to get excited about basketball again.  "March Madness" is in full 
swing and the final sixteen teams have been determined.  While I haven't 
watched a single college game this past season, I'll be watching the next two 
weeks (especially since my home state Mississippi Rebels have make it to 
the sweet sixteen).  I'll get excited, join in the celebration and have a great 
time until the final buzzer rings.  Then I'll forget about basketball until next 
year.

Sound familiar?  It does to me.  It reminds me of how a lot of people 
approach their faith—their relationship with God.  Sunday morning rolls 
around and it's time to get excited about church.  We put on our best clothes, 
dust off our Bibles and head off to worship.  We get excited about singing, 
especially if our favorite song is sung; we appreciate the sermon as long as 
the preacher doesn't go too long; and we seek out our best friends to enjoy a 
period of fellowship.  But the buzzer rings and it's time to forget about 
church until the next time.

No wonder many "Christians" bear so little fruit.  Like "March Madness," 
it's something we do on occasion as opposed to an everyday lifestyle.  
Christians need to be more like the basketball players and less like most of 
the fans.  I suspect most of the players in the tournament this year are there 
because of endless hours of practice and devotion.  Like these players, we 
need Christians who come together on Sunday's to rejoice after a week filled 
with endless hours of practice and devotion to our God.

"March Madness"!  The real madness is in believing that we will win 
spiritually when all we ever do is play the part of the fan.  Let's get out of 
the bleachers and into the game!

God bless.

Leslie S. Chapman