In the fall of 2011 the term "Tebowing" was coined following Tim Tebow's regular kneeling and praying on the sidelines during games. As media coverage surged around Tim Tebow, an outspoken Christian who was also known for the white "John 3:16"s he wore over his eye-black, people began to ask the question: "do people really think God cares about what happens on a football field?" Let's explore that question a little bit.
Why stop at football? Does God care about my job? Does He care about my education? Does He care about my relationships? We could go on and on. Behind these questions is ultimately something deeper. For some, God is a distant, far-away being that is ultimately uninterested in the lives of people. When we look to the Bible, His Word, however, we find a different depiction:
We find God's people describing Him as "gracious," "merciful," and "loving" (Jonah 4:2).
We find God telling us to the different things he's given to us in life like food, friends, and our work (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10).
We find a God whose love for us, and desire for us to be with Him, is so vast that He sent His Son to die on our behalf (John 3:16).
Back to the main question: does God really care about what happens on the football field? Yes! No, He doesn't care about which team wins or loses, but He cares about who you are, both on and off the field. He cares about why you do what you do. He cares that you give everything you have. From practice, to the game, to the ride home, remember that God cares about you and who you choose to be.
Why stop at football? Does God care about my job? Does He care about my education? Does He care about my relationships? We could go on and on. Behind these questions is ultimately something deeper. For some, God is a distant, far-away being that is ultimately uninterested in the lives of people. When we look to the Bible, His Word, however, we find a different depiction:
We find God's people describing Him as "gracious," "merciful," and "loving" (Jonah 4:2).
We find God telling us to the different things he's given to us in life like food, friends, and our work (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10).
We find a God whose love for us, and desire for us to be with Him, is so vast that He sent His Son to die on our behalf (John 3:16).
Back to the main question: does God really care about what happens on the football field? Yes! No, He doesn't care about which team wins or loses, but He cares about who you are, both on and off the field. He cares about why you do what you do. He cares that you give everything you have. From practice, to the game, to the ride home, remember that God cares about you and who you choose to be.
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."
1 Corinthians 9:24-25
They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."
1 Corinthians 9:24-25