Tebow Time

Article written for the “Christian Thesis” , January 2012

Being a faithful watcher of ESPN every morning, I was surprised when I watched five football analysts on the morning of December 13^th not talking football, but discussing faith. The catalyst of their discussion was a young football player known as Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos.

Tim Tebow’s story is a modern day Gideon: “the least in my Father’s house.” On paper, the statistics are not of a champion quarterback, but he keeps winning. For example, he has not only completed 96 passes out of 198 attempts. He has thrown more incompletions than completions, yet he is winning. Out of the 8 games he has started, he has won 7. The wins are not the story though. The story is how he is winning. Most have been won by coming back and in the last few minutes of the games; with a few won in overtime. The sports commentators call his comebacks, “Tebow Time.”

Why write about him? I am not. I am writing about the example he’s setting for us Christians today, and the faith that he is showing. One analyst summed up his story this way, “Tebow doesn’t think how he is going to win, he just believes he will.” His faith is an exposition on the Scripture, “we are more than conquerors.” The point is not the victory, but how you win and how you treat this win. This is why he is worth writing about and watching.

Tebow has faith that he will win every game. His teammates believe in his faith. They know if they can keep the game close that they will win. How he keeps winning is only part of the strength of his faith. The other part is how he acknowledges his teammates, his coaches, the Denver Bronco organization, and the fans as having a part in the win. He also respects his adversaries that he competes with. He is a great example of sportsmanship. This is another reason he is worth writing about and watching.

The greatest part of his faith is, it is rooted in his heart and not worn on his sleeve. He is not screaming “Jesus” all the time or walking about Him to the press in every sentence. He just lives “Jesus.” The greatest part to watch is Tebow talking positively about his experience and not justifying his faith. He doesn’t have to because everyone knows where his faith comes from by his actions (not words) off the field. In the off season, Tim Tebow doesn’t go to Disney World, but spends his time on the mission field.

If you are sick of watching sports because of all the bad sportsmanship on the field and all the off-the-field legalities, don’t lose faith. There is a light burning bright in the name of Jesus. His name is Tim Tebow and his game is football. But his motivation and his life is faith; faith in being “more than a conqueror.” For Tebow know as we should, “that neither life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, or things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Allow “Tebow Time to become in your life an inspiration every day. Know in your heart, no matter your circumstances or condition that you will win. As Tebow does, let us stop focusing on how things will turn out, but instead on how you will handle the victory; acknowledging those around you (even your enemies) and with people knowing, without you having to say, where your faith comes from.