I love hype.
I love college football for that singular reason.
I love the NFL playoffs for that singular reason.
Tim Tebow has now been involved with both.
But, frankly, the hype surrounding Tim Tebow is exhausting. Regardless of which side you are on…
There are some who say,
“It was called a God thing :) ‘God searches the whole earth to find those who’s hearts are perfect toward Him.’ He is blessing Tebow.”
… and there are others who say,
“Amazing grace? Lol. Grace has nothing to do with it. Why can’t he just be a good player?”[1]
In light of these statements, I would like to make two recommendations: For those thinking that God shines down His “special” grace allowing Tim Tebow to throw, for instance, 80-yard game winning touchdowns – please note that this is highly unlikely, if not wholly (not to mention the apparent lack of special "grace" in his most recent 9/26 completion/attempts ratio with one fumble lost). But, conversely, for those thinking that grace has nothing to do with Tebow’s success – please note a theological concept entitled “ common grace”, not to mention also considering God’s sovereignty.
Proponents of Tebow’s overt witness for Jesus, those claiming that he gives all the glory to God and thereby receives (or deserves) God’s special blessing on his professional football career need to remember that God does not need us (Acts 17:24-25), as though he needed anything (which includes our worship or attribution of glory to God – although this also does not mean we should not worship and glorify God), and thereby is not required to bless anyone in anyway for their overt witness or attribution of glory to God.
Conversely, those opposing Tebow’s outspoken faithfulness need to consider that God “makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45), ergo there is a certain measure of “grace” that is bestowed upon Tim Tebow (and everyone in actuality) because of God’s overarching graciousness towards the world and people he created.
Now, I have heard the retort of those opposing Tebow (or at least the hype surrounding Tebow), “How can God care about a football game when 30,000 children die everyday from preventable disease?” I think the answer is twofold: God’s sovereignty and the problem of evil. However, being that this post is specifically about Tim Tebow (not to mention the time and spatial restraints), perhaps that topic is best deferred to a different post.
But, maybe, just one thought on God’s sovereignty: if we affirm Scripture as inerrant and authoritative (which I do), and we have texts indicating that “God does as He pleases” (Ps. 115:3; 135:6), and that everything is done “according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11), perhaps what might be safest is recognizing that God is able and actually powerful and magnificent enough to govern everything from molecular biology to supernovas, from tsunami waves to healthy childbirth, from throwing a football to [insert your potentially meaningless task].
In conclusion, I think that moderation is best (isn’t that true for most things?). Whether you affirm God’s “special” grace in Tebow’s every step, or think that grace has nothing to do with it…you need to relax.
[1] Note that both of these statements are direct quotations from Facebook (1 comment and 1 status), and both are from professing Christians.
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