Don’t Waste Your Sports – Tim Tebow

Is Tim Tebow ever not in the news? It would seem even when he was a backup to Charlie Leak at the University of Florida, Tebow and the word “news” seemed to be synonymous.

In hindsight, perhaps one could argue that the word “controversy” is an even better synonym. Tebow is primarily controversial for 2 reasons: (1) because of his ability to win football games without the most obvious of quarterbacking skills and (2) because of his outspoken faith.

It is his outspoken faith that has put him in “hot water” again in recent days.

Last Thursday, February 21, 2013 Tebow withdrew from a speaking engagement he had committed to at First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. The event was to celebrate the opening of their new $130 million dollar building/campus.

Tebow’s only public explanation so far has been that he wanted to “share a message of hope and Christ’s unconditional love” with this historic congregation, but that “due to new information that was brought to my attention” he has decided to not speak at First Baptist Dallas. He then pledged to use “the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope, and Love to all those needing a brighter day.”

So the speculation has begun. Why would Tebow walk away from an opportunity to share or preach to a Baptist congregation in one of the largest churches in America? Tebow himself is a Southern Baptist.

One suggested reason for his withdrawal (and Tebow has not directly verified this) surrounds the pastor of First Baptist Dallas. His name is Robert Jeffress and his views on the exclusivity of the Gospel and his outspoken speech on the sin of homosexuality has caused much controversy with the secular media. Jeffress has views that are in the mainstream of most evangelicals but would seem to more like the professing Christians of Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas than Jesus. So perhaps Tebow wanted to avoid any unnecessary controversy with his speaking there and indirectly aligning himself with those views of Jeffress.

If that is the case, and we have no idea if it is or not, why would Tebow be so concerned about this? As far as I can tell, his churches and pastors that he has been under during his life have all been conservative churches that would share these same views and distinctive.

Why did he withdraw and was it the right decision? Unless Tebow ever shares with us publicly why he did it, we are left to speculate.

But I would hope and pray that Tebow is not wasting his sports by putting his reputation as more important than standing alongside of truth. I would hope and pray he is not allowing the concern of not having a contract with an NFL team and having to court coaches for a job to keep him from defending God’s Word and the truth that abides in it.

Tebow, please don’t waste your sports! If something comes out that Tebow had a perfectly reasonable reason to withdraw than I would love to post on this subject again and credit him for it. So we shall wait and see …