Too Much Tebowing?

So………………I’m sure all of you know who Tim Tebow is.  Former Florida Gators quarterback, Heisman trophy winner, and Denver Broncos quarterback.  People either love him or hate him.

I’m just going to tell you flat out that I am a Tim Tebow fan, for a number of reasons.

1. His character and love for the Lord.  He’s not ashamed and lives a consistent lifestyle.  In a recent article by The Associated Press says, “his teammates and coaches, who see him when the cameras and recorders aren’t around, say he’s a sincere, aw-shucks, praise-the-Lord-and-pass-the-football kind of guy, with the world at his feet and his head nowhere near the clouds.  ‘He really is genuine and the emotion and the passion that you see him out there playing with, he has the same passion off the field with those type of things, the charity things and the missionary things,’ receiver Eddie Royal said. ‘He’s real,’ coach John Fox agreed.”
2. He’s a great role model.  John Fox later said in the article, “He walks the walk.  A guy like that in today’s society, in my mind, ought to be celebrated, not scrutinized to the level that he is.”  Bronco’s safety Rahim Moore said, “Look at the guy. He’s not a guy who’s out clubbing and doing this and that.”
3. Tebow plays the game like a man.  Not some mamby pamby quarterback who crumbles to his knees if the wind hits him too hard.  Tebow dishes out just as much pain as he takes.  Before the days of throwing a flag for every little thing the NFL was a rough and tough game:  The toughest team won hands down.  Now the team with the fastest guys and the prettiest quarterback wins.  Tebow has taken the NFL back to the good ole days of smash mouth football.  Tebow hears more negative comments from sports writers and fellow football players than any other player in the NFL.  There is absolutley no quit in Tebow.  The fourth quarter is now known as ‘Tebow Time’ across the NFL, because of Tim’s late game heroics.  When you are watching the Denver Broncos you know that they are never out of it.  Tebow plays like a man!
4. He’s been a great leader on every level he has played; pee wee, high school, college, and now the NFL.  He shows up first and leaves last.  He has been known to compete with the linebackers in weight lifting.  And he wins.  You can be a hard working great guy but if you are not winning players won’t follow you.  But he is winning, and his teammates are following.

Leading the team 5-1 since his recent position as starting quarterback, Tim Tebow is making an impact.  One of the most recent fads now a-days isn’t the eye black with scriptures, it’s tebowing.

Tebowing is posing as if you were praying when everyone seems to be doing something else: one knee on the ground, elbow on knee, fist on forehead…and now, take a picture, post.  There has been a hot discussion in the sports arena about whether or not Tebowing is offensive.  Some say that it is opennly mocking Christianity.  Others say these guys are just mocking Tebow himself.  Then, some say that posers are just paying homage to their hero.  Tim Tebow has come out and said that he doesn’t find it offensive.  He has actually said there are many positives about it.

All in all, I am not here to talk about how great he is.  I am not here to talk about to pros and cons of Tebowing.  I want to bring up the idolization of men.  (meaning: we make something a “god” in our life) We celebrate how wonderful and talented athletes and musicians are.  We place them on pedestals that no one can live up too.  We want to be just like someone who has just as many faults as we do.  We find ourselves talking more about ‘the game’ than what Jesus is doing in our lives.  In this age of moral decay, evangelical christians, including myself, have latched onto Tebow as the savior of the sports world.  While I have to admit I root for Tebow more because of his beliefs than anything, I see that many of us are taking it way to far.  Tebow is a great player, person, and Christian, but he is not a savior.  And he is not Jesus.

Now don’t get me wrong, root for your Broncos!  I’m just as big a Tebow fan as the next guy.  We need role models in this day and age of pride and selfishness being the norm in sports.  So I say this; please root for Tebow, root for the Broncos.  If there was a guy to look up to it would be him.  But lets put some perspective on this.  This man is getting more attention than any football player has gotten in as long as I can remember.  He is the face of the Denver Broncos, and Christian athletes.  But Jesus Christ is the face of love.  Jesus Christ is the face of redemption.  And Jesus Christ is the face of salvation.  Tebow cannot offer forgiveness of sin.  And Tim Tebow cannot offer the free gift of eternal life.  As we enjoy football and what Tebow has been doing lets have some perspective.  He is just a man being open about his relationship with God and letting Christ’s light shine through him.  We all can do that in our different arenas.  Tebow may be able to run over linebackers, but he can’t walk on water!

Go Broncos!

Make a play-

Thank you to my wonderful husband, Timmy who helped write this post. 🙂

Thanks Coach

What’s your typical view of a president or CEO of a company?  I could be wrong, but I haven’t heard much about the CEO or President meeting with employees under them.  I will admit, I’ve had a judgmental opinion about  CEO’s.  The way the media puts it, the news, and in movies , a lot of those men and women up there are invisible.  You don’t get to meet them or talk to them.  You go through someone else to do it.  I’m not saying that any of this is a bad thing, but wouldn’t it be great if you knew the character of one of the main people you were working for?  Wouldn’t it be great if he called you on your birthday, or anniversary?  How about texting you to meet for coffee?  Ya.  Right.  Well that’s exactly what I thought before this past weekend.

Coach Steckel (left), and Sports Ministry Institute Students at an FCA Colorado Event.

My husband and I had the privilege of attending a dinner with the president of FCA, Mr. Les Steckel.  There were other FCA Colorado staff members there, but he took time to speak with us and many others.  I’m going to tell you a little bit about Mr. Steckel.

Les Steckel was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1984.  He also worked as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  He also enlisted in the Marines and served in Vietnam as infantry. He recently retired from USMC Reserves after thirty years of service with the rank of Colonel.  Wow.  Talk about an honorable guy. Can you imagine being married, having a family, in the Marine Corps, and coaching?  I can’t.  I’ve heard that coaching is one of the biggest time commitments as it is. Les shares that most men get their identities from their jobs.   “Les faced hardship when he was fired on eight different occasions.   Les says that every time he got fired it was painful, and it didn’t get easier, but he persevered.  He learned to get his identity from Christ and knowing that God has the future in store. He says football doesn’t build character, it reveals it. On March 1, 2005, Les became the seventh president/CEO of the FCA.  His extensive involvement with FCA dates back to 1972 when, as a college football coach, he attended his first FCA conference.   In the 30-plus years since, Steckel has served as a huddle leader, platform speaker, camp dean and football clinician at various FCA camps across the nation.  He led Bible studies throughout his NFL career and served regularly as a guest speaker for FCA events.  Les feels he’s on a tremendous team with FCA.” (http://www.cbn.com/700club/guests/bios/Les_Steckel113006.aspx)

Coach Steckel didn’t get up in front of all of us and boast about all he’s done.  He talked about the privilege it has been for him to be involved in FCA.  A humble man, yet strong.  He shared some stories during his coaching years, and even talked about his time being President for FCA. He reminded all of us who we were working for.  He reminded us who our real CEO/President was.  He reminded all of us to work for the Lord, not for man.  “Whatever you do work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23

In any sport we are involved in we measure it by wins or losses.  Coach Steckel reminded us “we are in the game of life and death”.  There are students who are dying inside every day.  We who are ambassadors for Christ have a call to reach out to them and show them the the eternal life they can have with Jesus Christ.  We don’t do this by yelling in their face, or beating the Bible over their head, we do this through,with, and in love.  Coach Steckel reminded all of us “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35.  A good President will remind you who you are working for, and demonstrate it through his character and actions.  Thanks for the reminder Coach.

Whether you’re the CEO, captain, secretary, administrator, rookie, quarterback, 2nd string, or underdog you can make a difference…all you have to do is step out and make a play.

~Sharing the Victory is FCA’s magazine that is published monthly.  They also have podcasts.  Here is this past weeks podcast with Coach Steckel, Tim Tebow, and Coach Bowden. 

Sharing the Victory Podcast featuring Tim Tebow, Bobby Bowden, and Les Steckel