Running With Perseverance

Dec 1, 2009 | 0 comments

This Saturday every family should gather in the living room, sit down with some popcorn and watch football.

Now, normally family-time should be encouraged to do something not TV-or-Computer-related on the weekends.

However, please make an exception this time. Saturday afternoon at 4pm is one of the biggest games ever in college football history. The top 2 teams in the country, Florida and Alabama, face each other. The winner goes to the National Championship.

But all that is not the reason to watch.

Your family should watch to witness the example set by one of the greatest Christian athletes ever to play a sport.

Tim Tebow is the Senior quarterback for the Florida Gators. The youngest of 5 home-schooled children, he’s helped lead his team to two national championships. He’s also won the highest individual college football honor; the Heisman Trophy.

As a quarterback, he has more career rushing touchdowns than running back greats Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson and Emmitt Smith.

Tebow could possibly be the greatest college football player ever. But it’s not just about scoring touchdowns for him:

“He is a man of faith and puts that faith into practice every day. He’s one of those rare individuals who believe that football is a means to an end, and not an end in itself….Tim Tebow uses his success in football to put his faith into action.” (1)

Plenty of athletes “talk the talk”; they write scripture on their eye black every game and thank God after a victory; just like Tim Tebow does (one of his greatest memories is the game he wore John 3:16 under his eyes and the verse took 93 million hits on Google search that night).

Tim Tebow also walks the walk. As a 22-year-old, he has made numerous visits to prisons to preach Christianity to inmates. He stands strong by his vow of abstinence until marriage. He makes annual mission trips to the Philippines to assist with his father’s missionary work. Here, he talks with thousands of students and makes visits to children living in orphanages.

Reporters have constantly attempted to find something “wrong” with him and all have come up empty. He’s not perfect, as he would be the first to say, but he is a prime example of Christian leadership on and off the athletic field.

His passion to compete at his highest level while maintaining a humble attitude towards Him who gave his ability is something to model and respect.

Last Saturday on Tebow’s eye black was the scripture reference Heb. 12:1 “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

The perseverance set by Tim Tebow’s career is something every family should witness. Use his example to share what it means to compete for the glory of God.

And- if you’re still buying Christmas gifts, let me suggest a #15 Florida Gators jersey.

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For more about Tim Tebow’s story, read this article: Born to Lead by Tom Rogeberg

(1) As time ticks on Tebow’s career, appreciate what we’ve got before its gone, Nov. 24 2009. http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/12571153/as-time-ticks-on-tebows-career-appreciate-what-weve-got-before-its-gone.