Trampoline Faith: How Small Jumps Of Faith Unlock Big Air From God

Joshua Crawford

Trampolines have been around since the 1930’s, but trampoline parks have grown in popularity over the last few years. Many children celebrate their birthdays on these bouncing rigs, as they were originally called, soaring through the air much higher than they ever could on their own.

Trampolines work when the kinetic energy from our jumping legs acts upon the stored, potential energy found inside the trampoline springs. Our legs actually tap into this stored energy and create kinetic energy, which is visible when the trampoline sends us flying into the air. Think of it this way: we’re not creating the big jumps, but we’re using our limited jumping ability to release those high-flying, gravity-defying acts. From this principle, we can learn a lot about how trusting God works.

In Matthew 8, a Roman centurion discovered that a faithful little action can unleash major power from God’s kingdom. The centurion believed Jesus could heal his servant, but he went one small step further saying in verse 8, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” The following verse informs us that Jesus marveled at this small gesture of faith and the story ends with Jesus releasing his big energy saying, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” Of course, the servant was healed at that very moment, without Jesus’ physical presence.

In the next chapter of Matthew, we meet a woman who’d been hemorrhaging blood for 12 years and, once again, we see her produce a small amount of her own energy to reach out and touch Jesus’ garment. True to the nature of God, Jesus responds to a seemingly insignificant action with a nature-defying display of mercy as he tells the woman in verse 22, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” Though she could only jump a little, Jesus acknowledged her effort and met her with a tremendous act of energy.

How often do we find ourselves in situations which call for some great action, but we’re too weary, weak, or limited to produce that action? If we were jumping off the bare ground and responsible for creating every bit of energy, we’d be in trouble. In these moments, as Christians, we must realize we’re standing upon a trampoline of faith; any jump of faith we’re capable of producing will be met with exponential power from the Almighty God.

In Malachi 3:10, we’re encouraged to test God’s faithfulness; in 1 Peter 4:19 we’re told to entrust our souls to the faithful Creator; 1 Kings 8:56 says not one of His promises has failed. With such a faithful God, with so much potential, stored energy available in Him, jump! Maybe you’ve been cautiously testing this trampoline out for awhile, too nervous to abandon yourself to Jesus’ big promises, but look at how kids use trampolines, seeing how high they can go. Jump! Then, watch God respond and send you soaring through this world He created.