Don’t worry, I’m not about to post a video of Tim Tebow singing “Lord I lift Your Name On High”. Don’t get me wrong, he sings it while on the field of National Football League games when most people are thinking about X’s, O’s and not pulling a groin muscle. I’m not going to post it because he sings it really terribly, though joyfully unto the Lord.
This post has more to do with rooting for Christians. I asked a few years ago before the Super Bowl featuring Kurt Warner (a well known Christian) and his Arizona Cardinals, who ended up losing a close game against the Pittsburgh Stealers (the same team that lost to the Tebows, I mean Denver Broncos this past weekend), if people would root for an athlete based on that athlete being a Christian? I asked the same thing when the FIFA World Cup came around starring Brazil’s Kaka (another well known Christian).
Now, don’t get me wrong, my point isn’t that we should root for the Broncos to win because Tebow is a Christian, after all Troy Polamalu of the Steelers is a Christian too (and there are many Christians throughout the league, though not all are as popular or as outspoken).
What I really want to say is that we should root for Christians in general to succeed in a way that gets the name of Christ out there. I don’t really care that the Broncos won (even though I rooted for them), but I do care that Tebow has shown through thick and thin is that He praises Jesus Christ win or lose. That is something that a lot of us Christians can get behind. Even Carlos Whittaker wrote a great blog about it recently.
How does it relate to Christian Music? Well, it is the same reason why I started this website in the first place. A lot of people ask why Christians need their own music. I don’t care much for the debate and I don’t really care that much if it is called Christian music or Christians who happen to make music, what I care about is rooting for brothers and sisters in Christ.
I run this website with a few things in mind, but a big one is this verse: Gal 6:10 – “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
That is why I often find myself rooting for guys like Tebow and Warner and Polamalu, even though I’m technically a Chargers fan, I’m a bigger fan of Christ and our brothers and sisters in Christ.
What do you think, are you on board with Tebow and other Christian athletes or does their faith have any relevance to sporting interest?
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It’s official…I can’t go a single day without hearing about this Tim Tebow guy -_- (I’m not a sports fan
). But I can agree with this in the context of ccm, even if a band’s music doesn’t interest me I can still root for them if their purpose is something I admire.
Tim Tebow is incredible. I would already root for him because he’s a standup guy.. heck even LADY GAGA referred to him as a winner.
But I am mainly rooting for him because this is such a fantastic ministry. In a world that seems worse and worse every day, the most famous person in the country (currently) is someone who is boldly and unashamedly proclaiming Christ.. amazing.
And by the way look what was at the top of Google’s top searches yesterday..
http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends?sa=X&date=2012-1-9
Sorry, I’m not into Tebow-mania. I wanted him to win last week because I think New England has a better chance of beating the Broncos than it did of beating the steelers. I just offer a word of caution when holding anyone up as some role-model or hero of Christianity. Don’t base your faith on it, don’t look to Tim Tebow for strength. He is a dude, and he could screw up down the line (he also could NOT screw up) but our faith should be based on the one who we are certain of, the one we know never has and never will screw up. Tebow is just a dude, and hopefully a dude who loses this weekend!
the issue of him being a role model i think is a different issue than rooting for another Christian to succeed, which is what i was aiming for here
I guess I would just wonder why we were rooting for him.
Would it be fair to say that we should be rooting for him to represent Christ in a way that glorifies God? I think we should be rooting for all Christians to do the same. This isn’t really about rooting for him to be super awesome football guy so much as it is about rooting for him to be able to use what gifts God has given him to spread the Gospel.
Personally, I think we should, out of love, desire the best for all men. I believe that his faith is irrelevant to that principle.
I definitely agree with this, Dan, but if you’re referring to other football teams “the best” for these men isn’t that they win a football game.. obviously you know that.
But I have had talks with other Christians who think it’s wrong to root for other believers just because they’re proclaiming Christ.
The point isn’t that we want to see Tim Tebow beat all the other heathens and win the Super Bowl.. the point is that if it opens more doors to his ministry then let it happen!
It really could benefit A LOT of people.
Of course God doesn’t need Tebow but there is not denying that He is using him to further His kingdom. I just find it amazing (and comforting) to see God using someone so popular right now.
I do have to add God will use him whether he wins or not.. and I’ll be rooting for him off the field as well. Or maybe I should say I’ll be rooting for Christ through him as to avoid anymore confusion.
Dan, I believe that my quoting of Galatians 6:10 in the article is my position on that issue.
I would go to Luke 10:27. The “Love your neighbor as yourself” which has no reference to that person’s faith. Out of a love similar to that which I have toward myself I hope for my neighbors success as I would hope for my own.
I think I would like to go back to my point in the article that says “What I really want to say is that we should root for Christians in general to succeed in a way that gets the name of Christ out there.”
I don’t think that “Loving your neighbor as yourself” contradicts this point, but enhances it. If your neighbor is unsaved, then I would want to root for you as a Christian to “succeed” in a way that you would be a witness of the Gospel to that person, which is the most loving thing that one can do, isn’t it?
Amen Tyler! Just the point I was trying to make in fewer words (story of my life).
And I completely understand where you’re coming from Dan, but I think we’re talking about two different kinds of “success”. Ultimately there’s nothing moderately successful about winning a football game.. yeah I can root for the one I love to win but that’s inconsequential. The Gospel however brings about eternal success and that is what Tebow is promoting.
I am def rooting for him to succeed – the further he goes, the louder Christ will be proclaimed!
That kind of thinking concerns me. Christ does not need famous people for his message to be proclaimed loudly. He generally works completely contrary to that principle. He uses the weak, the lowly, the poor, the outcast. His greatness shows through their weakness. I believe that Christians loving the people around them speaks much greater to the truth of the Gospel than a famous QB “representing” Christ and doing charitable deeds on a grand stage. Maybe not. Just my thoughts. I’m a Pats fan, so that could be swaying my opinion here!
I’ve never been a proponent of the whole “save the qb, save the cheerleader and you’re set” mentality, but God can use all kinds of ways to reach people. Yes there’s 1 Corinthians 1:26-27, but God has also shown that there are times when he has used kings and other rulers to help His people as well. Just because God does not “need” the strong, does not mean that He can not use the humble on whatever stage they are on.
I don’t mind rooting against them cus they’re a patriots fan…i like the patriots too and will be rooting for them to win the SB this year with the Chargers out of it…but that is just football (tried to address this in paragraphs 3 and 4)
God can use all men (i mean that in the gender-neutral sense) irrelevant to their position in society’s food chain. God used kings and blind beggars, but we aren’t writing articles about every blind beggar that God uses.
not every single one, no, but if I happen to run across one that inspires me to write about him I would do so. I do have stories about such men (mostly minus the blind part), I just don’t know how to relate it to the field of Christian music just yet
Tebow’s overt faith is encouraging, and I would think the rest of the brothers and sisters should support him in that endeavor. Doesn’t mean I’m going to root for the Broncos; I’m a Lions fan. That’s something that will teach you about “long suffering”.