Tim Tebow's high-profile witness

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10, NKJV).

I’m the sort of football fan whose loyalty follows the player, not necessarily the team. I’m a Carolina Panthers fan (and a Carolina native) who has cheered them on since they started playing in 1995, but I’m not partial to any player. On the other hand, I’ve been a New England Patriots fan for several years because, well, Tom Brady, and I like watching the team play. Troy Polamalu recently retired, so there goes my reason to cheer on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maybe it’s a “girl” thing? But when I root for the Philadelphia Eagles next season, it will be a Christian thing. Just as I cheered for the Denver Broncos when Tim Tebow led that team, I’ll be cheering for the Eagles. Philadelphia signed Tebow to a one-year contract to compete with quarterbacks Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford, and Matt Barkley for a spot on next season’s roster.

Since the news of his signing broke, Tebow has trended on Twitter and made the headlines. He recently worked as an analyst at ESPN and hasn’t played in a game since the New York Jets cut him after the 2012 season. He led the Broncos to a playoff win against the Steelers the previous year.

Whether Tebow is on the field or on the bench, the media will take notice. What is it about him? For me it began after the Focus on the Family pro-life Super Bowl commercial. His mother called him her miracle baby. Recovering from dysentery, she became pregnant with him. The medication she took caused placental abruption, and doctors recommended she kill him. She took a leap of faith and protected him, and the rest is headline history.

I want to see Tebow play well because he’s a Christian and to prove the naysayers wrong. He’s a high-profile witness for Christ (yet a sinner like the rest of us) navigating the secular world and living a life free of scandal. He told Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly that “the greatest way to witness is by walking that straight and narrow and also realizing that you’re going to mess up. That’s what grace is for.” (Imagine trying to walk the “straight and narrow” in the national spotlight.)

Each of us plays a role in God’s plan, whether we believe the Creator is a myth or know in our bones He exists. Christians from the lowliest of circumstances to the most exalted make an impact. Believers like Tebow have far-reaching influence and the resources to give much more to the less fortunate than we can. But God loves all those He’s called to salvation, and we don’t have to be influential or wealthy to glorify Him.

“On the field I’m trying to play for the glory of God, but then also I’m trying to give everything I have and win and compete,” Tebow said. “And so I think more than just winning or losing, I think He cares about where our hearts are when we’re playing.”