Take A Stand!

I love the story surrounding Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos. (I can’t say that I like him since I believe you need to know someone to be able to like or love them.) I like the fact that he doesn’t make any pretence about who he is and what he believes. He also takes a stand for what he believes in regardless of the insults he gets from people. I also understand that quite a lot of people, both non-Christians and Christians alike don’t like him, even though they don’t know him (although they know about him and the things he does on and off the pitch. For the non-Christians, I understand that it is because they have an aversion and a hatred for anything connected with God. His actions remind them of their own sin and they don’t like it. Unfortunately, it’s a similar story for the Christians. The fact that he takes a stand regarding his faith makes them all too aware of their own “failings” as Christians and the fact that they have refused to take a stand as Christians where they are. Probably, if any of them were to tell a co-worker he or she is a Christian, the co-worker would probably go “Oh, really?” It’s not his fault that their hearts condemn them.

But I’m scared for him. I followed a link from Pastor Rick Warren’s Twitter feed to an article written about him. When asked about the things most important to him, he said “Football, faith, foundation.” The foundation was in reference to a foundation he has set up for underprivileged children. I would like to confess here that at times, I’m something of a pessimist. At times I see problems and issues where there are none. Immediately I read about the foundation, the first thought that came to mind was Jerry Sandusky. I’m not here to argue about his innocence or not, that will be done in court, by his lawyer or lawyers, in front of jury of his peers. But the thought that followed the first thought was about how easy it is to destroy a person’s name, career, family and reputation with an allegation.

When we think of repressive and oppressive regimes, we have been taught to think of countries Iran, North Korea and Cuba. We would be appalled or offended if someone were to list the United States or the United Kingdom in that list. Especially if we are citizens. But I have seen a growing intolerance for the Christian faith and speaking about what you believe because of a growing political correctness and a misplaced sense of not wanting to cause offence. Due to the fact that I follow Fox News on Twitter, I have read stories about teachers being dismissed, students being suspended and Christian student groups being harassed in high schools and colleges all over America simply because they took a stand for what they believed in. Because they stood for Christ. Their belief in the good news has cost them something. That’s what Jesus promised in Mark 10 v 29-31. It’s something we all can’t escape because the world and its systems are opposed to God and his Christ.

The animal kingdom is full of species where mothers eat their young or other members of the specie eat each other. Unfortunately, if Christianity was an animal kingdom and we all were animals, we would rank as number 1 on the list of those who devoured each other. I wonder what people would say if suddenly he was involved in a scandal. I believe that sadly, a lot of Christians would be happy, saying that they had known his piety was false.

Personally, I think Tim shouldn’t be criticised. Even if we don’t agree with him, rather than join non-believers in their criticism, we should pray for him. We should pray that God continue to use him as an effective witness, that God will make him stand and that nothing will make him fall. We should also pray that even as God uses him, God will use us too.