Just about everybody in the nation has an opinion about Tim Tebow so I thought I’d weigh in. Tebow is one of the most polarizing figures in modern sports. Sure, other NFL Quarterbacks are Christians, such as Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers and Kurt Warner but nobody else wears their faith on their sleeve quite like Tim Tebow.One of the things that irks people so much about Tebow is that he seems too good to be true. In an age where Presidents, athletes, movie stars, and almost every other famous celebrity is linked to an affair, alcoholism or some other egregious sin, Tebow walks a different road. After all, the guy spent summers doing missionary work in the Philippines while many teenagers were hanging out at the beach.So, why does Tim Tebow get so much hate? Do we really care that this guy is not the “typical” NFL Quarterback? Do his prayers on one knee really irritate us so much? To be honest, I do not think so. I think that it is Tebow’s firm conviction that actually bothers us. In an age where people are afraid of
commitments Tebow shows us a different path. His courage to proclaim his faith on the biggest secular stage is no small feat.I think that when we see his witness we get a bit upset. After all, we are afraid to stand up for Jesus in the lunch room, at work or with our friends at the bar. We compromise our faith in the small areas and wish that everyone else would do the same. We’re so jaded in the modern world that we only wish for heroes to rise up and then be knocked down and put in their place. Who is this man to think that he can be a vocal devout Christian and win in the National Football League? We then attack him and say that he is playing the God card too much and trying to use his faith as a magic wand to win games. It’s like your Catholic high school using the God’s on our side chant at the local football or basketball game.Yet, for Tebow, this isn’t the case. The man’s motto is “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” The guy is not the best quarterback in the NFL, and he would be the first to admit it. However, his work ethic is top notch. In addition, he has intangibles that other quarterbacks do not
Most importantly, the man is a leader and an inspiration. He is not the only reason the Broncos are 6-1 under his direction, but he has a great hand in the process. His leadership has the team and the coach believing that this team has a chance to win ball games. As we have seen this year, the power of belief cannot be understated. Tebow knows how to rally the troops to overcome adversity and win when the game is on the line.
So, what should we get from the witness of Tim Tebow? What if we saw his bold faith in an admirable light and sought to bring it into our own lives? What if we believed that God really cared about us and wanted us to succeed? Maybe our vision for life is just too small. God may have big things in store for us, if we would just pray and ask him. I believe people like Tim Tebow are there not for us to look ourselves and say, wow what a horrible person I am, but to inspire us to do great things if we just believe in God.
With that in mind, I encourage you to pray this Advent about God’s vision for your own life. I’d be interested in your comments as I am sure this is a hot topic to discuss.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://ignitumtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Bob-W.-e1319488641975.png[/author_image] [author_info]Bob Waruszewski is a 22 year old cradle Catholic from Pittsburgh, PA. He recently graduated from St. Vincent College with a bachelor’s degree in both mathematics and economics. Currently he works for a natural gas company in the Pittsburgh area and helps organize Young Adult Ministry events on the side. In his free time he enjoys sports, hiking, reading and chess. His favorite Saint is St. Joseph.[/author_info] [/author]
9 thoughts on “Tim Tebow, a Source of Inspiration”
I think the trend of Christian football players is a great thing. It’s true that we see it more overtly in Tebow than others, but you mentioned quite a few that we know to be Christians. Aaron Rodgers is throwing around quotes from St. Francis and leading by example, Tebow is fearlessly proclaiming his Faith. (Also, Mike McCarthy is an Irish Catholic who actually attends Mass and he also has a work ethic to match.)
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Thanks for sharing. For everything I’ve seen or heard of Tim Tebow, he does seem to be the “real deal.” God bless him!
Nice piece! Here’s A few other recent articles on Tim Tebow by Catholics:
– Why The Secular Left Dislikes Tim Tebow
http://the-american-catholic.com/2011/12/11/why-the-secular-left-dislikes-tim-tebow/
– Tim Tebow and Catholics – the Emerging Love Hate Relationship
http://www.davidlgray.info/blog/2011/12/tim-tebow-and-catholics-the-emerging-love-hate-relationship/
– Bringing Tim Tebow & Others To The Fullness of Truth That Is The Catholic Church
http://the-american-catholic.com/2011/12/14/bringing-tim-tebow-others-to-the-fullness-of-truth-that-is-the-catholic-church/
It is refreshing to read someone who “gets it” about Mr. Tebow, our brother in Christ, and perhaps one day within the Church. I for one amd tired of reading the negativity from our Catholic brothers and sisters, many of whom were themselves sincere evangelical Protestants at one point, and who have no qualms about ripping on this man or his approach to the Faith.
He is not the Messiah–he is an imperfect human as we all are–nor is he Roman Catholic and therefore we should quit expecting him to act like one. But he utterly loves Jesus Christ, the same Lord we are trying to serve.
And I too think it is often a subtle jealousy that may be motivating some, or perhaps anger towards faith traditions that they have left behind, and yet which brought them to Christ initially. Neither are good reasons to speak ill of Tim or his family. If the energy spent criticizing him was spent in praying Novenas for him instead, he would probably be Catholic by now! We seem to have forgotten that our Protestant brothers and sisters are Christian too.
Pundits just can’t figure it out… ‘How does Tim do it?’ they ask.
A simple question requires a simple answer.
God answers sincere prayers and Tim prays sincerely.
Arthur I agree totally. As I have stated already I pray that he one day enters the fullness of the Catholic Faith. But I also am thankful that he loves Jesus here and now. End of story.
Loved Isaac’s narration in Source of Inspiration! Stoked for The Fray’s Scars & Stories in February
Heartbeat – http://www.vevo.com/watch/the-fray/heartbeat/USSM21101862?source=instantsearch
Thanks to everybody for their comments.
@Nathaniel – Mike McCarthy is a Pittsburgh guy that helps out his local sports association back here in the Steel City, so I definitely like him.
@David – I really enjoyed your links.