God at Work

When we read the Bible we read a history lesson of how God showed Himself through other people. But is God doing that today and how would we know?  We read that Joseph was sold off into slavery to Egypt and became the most powerful man in Egypt, next to the king.  We read that God did all this through him.  We also read about Moses and how God used him to get the people out of Egypt and across the Red Sea.   We take these stories in stride and say okay, but that was long ago.  But what if we lived during those times, would we actually recognize that God was at work?

How about today?  How do we know that God is working through ordinary people in today’s world?  What does that look like?  Is God working through you?

Before trying to determine where and who God is working through, we first need to establish what God is doing: in short, He is creating men in His image.  

Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

So God is still creating people today in His image, but is He actively working through them?

Well I am a sports fan and like to watch American football, much like most people who live in the USA, well maybe except for my wife.  Anyway, how many of you are familiar with the Denver Broncos and their current quarterback Tim Tebow?   Okay, now don’t close the page on this just yet.  I am not jumping on the Tebow Train here; I am merely asking whether or not God is using Tim to deliver His message in today’s world.

Yes all us sports fans know that Tim is a gifted athlete and has won many awards since he was a teenager, but did you know that he is a son of missionaries and probably should not been born at all?  You see Tim’s mother suffered a life-threatening infection when she was pregnant with Tim.  Because of the drugs used to treat her, the fetus experienced severe problems and the Doctors had expected a still birth.  Tim’s mother refused to have an abortion.  God working in a human’s life, even before birth.

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you.  Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations— that's what I had in mind for you."

Look, don’t get me wrong here I am not saying that Tim Tebow is any different than you or I and is some godlike figure or something like that.  Tim’s mother and father instilled in their family Christian beliefs.  Much like you or I are trying to do with our children.  But when one person believes in God and trusts their lives to Him, who knows what will happen.

So my question to you is this:  Is God working through Tim Tebow?  I say yes.  God is using Tim to spread His message through the eyes of those that are watching the NFL.  In 2010 there were over 175 million people that watched football!  Did you know that the viewership is up 16% in 2011 from 2010?  That’s over another 26 million people!  So why wouldn’t God use a football player to spread His message?

We live in a fast paced world where we want instant gratification and we want to see things either succeed or fail, now.  Well God does not work on our wants and wishes; He works on His own time schedule.  Tim’s success on the football field is also different than what we think it should be.  But that is God working in His time.

There have been other NFL players and coaches in the past who have a love for God and used their careers to spread the word of God.  But we did not make a big fuss over them, did we?  Did you know that during the 2007 Superbowl that the two coaches were Christians as well and this was the first time that two Christian coaches opposed each other in footballs biggest game?  Did you also know they were the first two black coaches to ever meet in the Superbowl?  Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith are also strong Christians and tried to instill their love of God into their profession as well.  Joe Gibbs, former NFL coach and now a NASCAR team owner is another very strong Christian. 

So why all the hype about Tim Tebow?  Well I suspect it’s because while he was in college he had scripture on his eye black that everyone saw and every time he was interviewed he gave all the glory to God.  So every time Tim was placed on a stage, he gave God all the glory.  This, I think, began to wear on non-Christians, but every one knew that Tim was a strong Christian.  He is still taking flack for his faith, but God told us to expect that. 

Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Did you also know that there is a new term for getting down on one’s knee and praying?  Yep, it’s called Tebowing!  Tim still always gives the glory to God and always sings Gods praises.  So yes God is working in today’s world.   Right now I see God working through Tim Tebow by allowing him to continue to be a leader on the field of football and allowing him to continue to win. 

I personally pray that God will continue to work through Tim and his on field accomplishments so that the entire world can see that God is still at work today.  I am praying that the world will see this is God’s doing and not a man’s doing.  I know that Tim is trying to instill that to everyone he talks to, give honor and praise to the one that made us!

Psalm 57:5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

So I ask the question again, is God working through you?  How would one know?  Are you praising God for all your wins and loses?  Unless you can answer yes to those questions, don’t knock someone who is out there trying to win souls for Christ.