Just a few random thoughts re: Tim Tebow.  

[First published as a note on Facebook]

I think he is the real deal, young, inexperienced and zealous.  He will be tested as all Christians are to see if he is genuine.  It is a bit refreshing to hear his forthright confession of faith, bombarded as we are with agnosticism, blasphemy, filthy vulgarism, and arrogant unbelief crammed down our throats every day from strangers, acquaintances, relatives and the news media. I do not know what particular creed he espouses, if any.   I have not heard him pray that he win football games; I don't know what he prays for, but those who do not know the joy of prayer and fellowship with Christ are not fit judges of its benefits.  Those who do, do, and understand even immature prayers.

Does anyone see the contradiction in spending hundreds of dollars for a playoff or bowl ticket, hundreds more for fan garments, drinking  yourself drunk with your friends at the sports bar, and going into depression when your team loses, staying out of church and the worship of God, while all the time insisting that God doesn't care anything about football and Tebow shouldn't pray about it?  Very odd.  At least it seems to me.  Who's the hypocrite?  Why this great desire for something that God doesn't give a whit about?  If God doesn't care, why should you get your shorts in a twist because Tebow prays?   Football players tend to pray as earnestly as a high school kid on exam day.

Football is his chosen profession and he is doing a lot of good with his millions, for he has prospered.  It is ok to pray for prosperity and success in your endeavors as Ps. 1 indicates.   Yes, I think that the God who cares for the sparrows and the lilies also cares about football players, and it is refreshing to have some indicate that they are aware of His care.   Failure in this or that matter does not refute this faith, any more than a flat tire on a big rig indicates that God's providence is a false doctrine, because faith understands that there is a Wisdom that rules in the affairs of men, even if we do not see it.

It would not bother me if he does pray to win; the nature of his prayer will be discerned by his behavior when he loses, as every Christian's prayers are.  The first right attitude toward prayer is submission to the will of our Father, that His will be done in earth as in heaven, but a right relationship with God will seek to involve Him in all our life, that His name be glorified and that we do the best we can at all times and treat people decently. We are simply commanded to pray for all things and to leave God out of nothing.

In spite of the arrogance and selfishness of people like Charles Barkley, Tebow seems to understand that youth do look up to athletes and he wants to be a good example to them.  I think he should be praised rather than those who assualt hotel maids, beat their wives, get in bar fights, and blaspheme God.  God bless him, and I will pray for him--and for the others, too, as they come to mind.

The agnostic mind finds value in nothing and so prays for nothing because it believes nothing.   But he will try very hard at his job and try to best you in arm wrestling.  Go figure.

I also suspect I will get some rumblings about the Sabbath Day and professional football.   That is another subject for another day, so please do not bring it into this conversation.