I’ve just finished watching the halftime show of the Giants vs. Cowboys game. Bob Costa did a small piece on Tim Tebow. Tebow has been in the spotlight – more like he’s become the bull’s eye on the target – since high school but more specifically, since playing with and leading a back-to-back National Championship team at the University of Florida.
For all the good that Tebow does as an individual, I think that it’s because of what he can do in the midst of others – despite others – that impresses me. I’m in no way putting him up there with the Christ but I am amazed that a man as young as he can withstand the amount of pressure put upon him by coaches, teammates, other professional athletes, the media … you name it and they’re probably sighting him in their crosshairs. The beauty about Tebow is his humanity. He isn’t perfect. He’s not Superman. He’s an everyday Joe that has been blessed with extraordinary talents … and he’s doing something with them!
If you follow Tebow at all then you know all the awards that have been showered on him throughout his football career. You know that he undoubtedly has God-given talent! You also know that all this talent has been developed over the years by other talented men and women who have seen the potential of an investment like Tim Tebow.
In my mind, he is a great contemporary example of Jesus’ parable of the three servants. A quick reminder too: for as long as I can remember watching Tebow at UF, he always had the Scriptures under his eyes on game day. He took the opportunity more than once to “speak the word” while he was on the platform of national exposure on College Game Day Saturday’s.
14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30)
So what do we do with that challenge? How are you living? Are you doing all that you can with what God has given you to bring gain/glory to the Father or are you simply living “safely?”
There is no excuse for mediocrity in the Kingdom of God. There simply is no excuse … yet Christians are the first to offer excuses for almost every situation. The time for excuses is short. It needs to be nonexistent. Imagine what could be changed in the world for the better if everyone lived with genuine purpose; or in the words of Tim McGraw, “Live like you were dying.” What if?
I once found a t-shirt while skiing up at Beech Mountain which read, “A life without risk is a waste of oxygen.” We could substitute danger for risk … a life without danger is a waste of oxygen. A life without productive work is a waste of oxygen. A life without purpose is a waste of oxygen … whatever words you need to insert to get you motivated to do something at a higher level that where you currently exist … then put them in there, go out and engage your situation, and get it done!
Well said.
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