Tim Tebow: A Real Role Model
My favorite athlete has always been Danny Wuerffel. I was in sixth grade when he won a national championship for my beloved Gators in 1996, and I never thought I would see such a perfect combination of athleticism, character and faith again, much less in a person that played for my favorite team.
In many ways, he was a role model for me. Interestingly enough, he was also a role model for a certain fourth grader who lived about two hours away from me, a kid named Timmy Tebow.
Tebow is very much the successor to Wuerffel in many ways, both on and off the field. But Tebow has managed to carry that standard even higher. On the field, obviously he now has another national championship under his belt. Off the field, it seems his faith-fueled good works are getting even more attention than Wuerffel’s did in the ’90s.
Nearly every time he’s talked about on TV, in print or on the radio, it seems that even the most cynical of sports figures will mention his trips to prisons or the Philippines. It’s almost comical to see some of them squirm when they talk about how many great things he does, because they don’t have an explanation for it. Tebow does so much good that it begs the question, Why? And the beautiful thing is they already know the answer, even if they don’t want to talk about it--his faith in Christ.
Tebow is a role model and not just for kids. This is the way Christians should live, overflowing with good works, living a life above reproach and boldly sharing the gospel. I’m not saying that Tim Tebow is perfect, but like many Christian athletes before him, he has taken it upon himself to use his place in the public eye to show people what it means to be a Christian. Let’s back him up on that and live that life for the people we come in contact with every day.
In many ways, he was a role model for me. Interestingly enough, he was also a role model for a certain fourth grader who lived about two hours away from me, a kid named Timmy Tebow.
Tebow is very much the successor to Wuerffel in many ways, both on and off the field. But Tebow has managed to carry that standard even higher. On the field, obviously he now has another national championship under his belt. Off the field, it seems his faith-fueled good works are getting even more attention than Wuerffel’s did in the ’90s.
Nearly every time he’s talked about on TV, in print or on the radio, it seems that even the most cynical of sports figures will mention his trips to prisons or the Philippines. It’s almost comical to see some of them squirm when they talk about how many great things he does, because they don’t have an explanation for it. Tebow does so much good that it begs the question, Why? And the beautiful thing is they already know the answer, even if they don’t want to talk about it--his faith in Christ.
Tebow is a role model and not just for kids. This is the way Christians should live, overflowing with good works, living a life above reproach and boldly sharing the gospel. I’m not saying that Tim Tebow is perfect, but like many Christian athletes before him, he has taken it upon himself to use his place in the public eye to show people what it means to be a Christian. Let’s back him up on that and live that life for the people we come in contact with every day.
posted by Editor at 4:24 PM
4 Comments:
I agree with all that was written about Tebow. As part of the Body, we need to keep people like him covered in prayer.
Tim is touching many lives. To hear people cheer when he thanks his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ tells me he is reaching many who otherwise would not be hearing the News.
As a missionary in the Philippines, also running an orphanage (not the same one Tim visits) I have been so blessed to watch his success on the football field and to see his godly character shining through. When was the last time you saw someone paint "John 3:16" on their face during a championship game? That takes guts. It may seem corny, but if one person looks up that verse in the Bible and gets saved, it was worth it. Congrats to Tim and the Gators on winning the National Championship. Over here in the Philippines, we are proud of you. (Do the readers know that he was born in the Philippines?) God bless you, Tim! May you have another great season in your senior year at Florida!
Hey Ken ...
You said: "It may seem corny, but if one person looks up that verse in the Bible and gets saved, it was worth it."
You are so right. Though only heaven will ultimately tell of the impact of Tebow's eye black, his faith, I think, is obviously real. It even caused millions of hits for God ... read here:
www.charismamag.com/cms/news/archives/011509.php
Even though Tebow chose to write John 3:16 across his face, I believe it WASN'T a strident act aimed at publicly displaying his Christianity (look at me!).
I believe he wanted to make his faith compelling, pique people's interest, maybe get non-believers to ask themselves some questions.
Too many people these days get caught up in the culture wars of "I'm right, you're wrong." We need to learn from Tim. Like Chris wrote, we should let our good works speak for themselves and sincerely love people, not put them off.
Running around saying "I'm a Christian, I don't believe in this, I don't believe in that, look at me, I believe rightly, look at me," is such a turn off in a world of hurting people who don't care what you believe, only how you act.
God, may we all learn a little from this young man's example.
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