No, Tim Tebow is known for far more important things - eternal and spiritual things. He is perhaps best represented by what is known universally now as ‘Tebowing’. This is his famous kneeling position that looks to even a casual observer as an act of prayer with one's head resting on one's fist. And it is just that. Tim Tebow is not a football player first. His priority is as an outspoken, fearless and committed follower of Jesus Christ. This has in turn made him a point of contention and a spectacle by those who adore him and by those who detest him – and again not for his quarterback skills or lack thereof.
Tebow was born in the Philippines to American parents who were serving as Baptist missionaries at the time. His mother, Pamela Elaine, while pregnant, suffered a life-threatening infection. Because of the drugs used to treat her dysentery, doctors expected a stillbirth and recommended she have an abortion. But she refused and today Tim is the youngest of five children. He and his siblings were all home schooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family's Christian beliefs along the way.
A nationwide controversy surrounded Tebow's decision to appear in an ad funded by Focus on the Family that was broadcast February 7, 2010, during Super Bowl XLIV on CBS. It included Tebow's personal story as part of an overall pro-life stance. In the Philippines, Tim Tebow preached the Christian Gospel in front of schoolchildren and entire villages and assisted in medical care. He supports more than 40 national evangelists working in that nation. In the States, he has shared his Christian faith in prisons and schools, to church and youth groups, and at meetings and conferences. And of course he does so in the locker room and in front of the TV camera without hesitation.
But what is this all doing to him after so much success before coming to New York? The rare and unlikely answer is this. It is likely making him stronger and closer to his Lord while offering him greater opportunities on a larger stage to show the world that he is the real Christian deal!
That was seen yet again in a recent Tebow tweet. It not only summed up the view of his relationship with God in the good times and bad, but something we can and should all incorporate into our own lives and witness:
He tweeted, "Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, THANK GOD." Tim Tebow may not now be playing. His team may not be playing well or winning. But he is a winner in the truest and most important sense of the word!
I have no idea what Tim Tebow's life verse might be. Many could be a good match. But perhaps none better than the one seen in the words of Peter's first epistle. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15)
Bill Breckenridge
