Do You Tebow?

By now even non-NFL fans (like myself) are very familiar with Tim Tebow, the University of Florida Heisman Trophy winner and quarterback for the Denver Broncos, who is well known for his public confessions of faith. Tebow is credited with helping the Broncos to win seven of their last eight games with breakthrough fourth quarter plays, until they fell to the New England Patriots this past weekend.

Tebow was born in the Philippines where his parents were missionaries, and home schooled along with his siblings when they later moved to Florida.As a result of a new Florida law providing home-schooled students with equal access to high school sports, he played football in Ponte Vedra Beach then attended the University of Florida where he helped the team win two college football national championships.While there, he used his developing fame to raise money for charitable organizations, and spent his free time volunteering with the poor and needy, and with prisons.

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He was a first round draft pick in 2010, and in his short career with the Broncos, has many critics of his playing style and capabilities. But he consistently proves them wrong as he performs better than expected in each game. He is one of the most talked about NFL players each week, not only for his exploits on the field, but because of how he interjects his faith into his sport. While he claims that God really doesn’t care who wins the game, after every touchdown, he points toward the sky, and drops a knee on the field in prayer. He begins post-game interviews by thanking his “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”, and closes them with “God bless”. Tebow is also known to write words like John 3:16 and other Bible scriptures in the black paint under his eyes while playing, so that when the camera focuses on him, he’s able to share the Word of God.

While other athletes also invoke the name of God, or point a finger upward at various times, Tim’s commitment to bowing in prayer while on and off the field has made him somewhat of a phenomenon, and this physical posture is now called “Tebowing”. While some other players now “Tebow” as a form of mockery when he misses a play, it went viral when another fan set up a website (www.tebowing.com) filled with pictures submitted by people who “Tebow” in various places around the world. Whether mocking him, copying him, or committing like him, “Tebowing” is well known as a form of acknowledging God.

I can’t help but admire his commitment and courage to use his fame as a platform for his faith. His influence, even with his detractors, is overwhelming and powerful. So my question to you is, “Do you Tebow?” In other words,

  •  Are you consistently conscious of the power of God at work in your life?
  • Are you committed to using your influence to help others in need, and to call attention to worthy causes that would otherwise go unnoticed?
  • Are your publicly stated values congruent with your private life?
  • When others mock or challenge your actions, do you continue to move forward with those actions anyway?
  • Do you use your God-given capabilities to excel in specific areas?

You may wonder why it even matters. After all, Tebow has millions of fans, and maybe you only have a couple of dozen fans, or lead just a few people. Well the number of people who follow you really is of no consequence. The important factor is that someone, somewhere is watching you. They’re noticing how you handle triumph and defeat. They’re noticing how you treat those less fortunate than you. They’re noticing whether you give of yourself more, to those who have less. They’re deciding whether they want to emulate your behaviors.

Your leadership is on display to some group of people, and your ability to influence their behaviors could potentially be phenomenal. So this isn’t about specifically following Tim Tebow. This is about simply following God. So I’ll ask you again, “Do you Tebow?”

Copyright 2011 Priscilla Archangel