Tuesday, December 6, 2011

What if you were “Tebowed?”

So many people have written about Tim Tebow in the past few months.  People criticize his throwing motion, mechanics, and footwork.  People seem to hate him.  People cheer for him.  People mock him.  People believe that they know him, own him, worship him, have a crush on him, bet on him, ignore him, and pray for him.

And most of the negative reactions are because Tim believes in God and will kneel occasionally to pray.  This has been called “Tebowing” (in the good sense of the word).  As one reporter recently wrote, Tebow's the most polarizing sports figure in the country right now.”






Such is life for someone on planet earth who is in the limelight.  And “Timmy” has stayed in the game, working hard, passing credit on to others, admitting his shortcomings, believing in himself, his teammates, and His God.


In some small degree, have you ever experienced any of the above being directed toward you?  Not because you are football player.  But maybe because you are a parent.  A boss.  A friend or spouse.  A person who has a position of influence or power.  A Christian in a secular world.  If so, how have you responded?


Jesus understood the fickleness of men … especially those closest to Him.  In Luke 4:16-30 we see the Lord return to His hometown and experience the gamut of human acceptance and approval.  All Jesus was doing is what He felt His Father was directing Him to do … and He was misunderstood, criticized, and threatened.  Oh, He had those who were His fans, but they most often were drowned out by the others.  In spite of all this, at the end of that passage we see how the Lord handled the negativity … we read in Luke 4:30 “But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way.”


Jesus, like Tebow, stayed in the game.  The Lord didn’t quit, he didn’t complain, and he didn’t respond in a negative manner.  He believed in His mission, He believed in His teammates, and He believed in His God.


When you go about your school, work, family, or civic responsibilities this week, it is possible that the same might happen to you.  You could be “Tebowed,” (in the negative sense of the word --- criticized for living out your faith).  How will you respond?  Will you as a Christ-follower stay in the game?

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