It's not Tebowing, it's prayer

When it comes to the phenomenon that is Tim Tebow, the average person – and most definitely the media pundits – clearly do not understand him. They confuse his Christianity with the idol worship of modern athletes. When he prays, they call it “Tebowing.” It’s not Tebowing, it’s prayer. It’s one man speaking to God. It’s one man behaving the way he believes God wants him to. It’s admirable. What Tebow is doing is not striking a pose that so many associate with his success on the football field. What he is doing it taking a private moment on a public stage and thanking the one who made it all possible for him. I’ve never met Tim Tebow, and to the best of my knowledge have never seen him in person or heard him speak more than sound bites on TV. I respect him as a brother and a man of God. I am thrilled at what he has done not only for the Denver Broncos but for the NFL and society in general. I’ve been a Broncomaniac since the days of old No. 7 – the first No. 7, Craig Morton. I was born and raised less than 60 miles from Mile High Stadium. My dad had the games on TV, but I didn’t care about football until the year Morton led the Broncos to the Super Bowl. That was the first football game I ever watched, and I was hooked. Since the days after Super Bowl XXXIII, Denver has been awaiting the second coming of John Elway. We got Griese on our Bristered hands and finally called in a Plummer. Quarterbacks came and went, and ultimately Orton heard a boo. Sent packing, Kyle Orton was replaced by Tebow. It hasn’t been pretty, but the results speak for themselves. Tebow wins football games. Sure it’s not just Tebow; there is a whole team behind him. But try convincing Colts fans that their team can win without Peyton Manning. Try telling us old-time Bronco fans that Denver could win without Elway. What makes Tebow a cultural curiosity is not his unique style of play or his remarkable number of come-from-behind victories — it’s his overtly public display of his faith in Jesus Christ. That, more than anything, is what I admire and respect about the man. The fact that he is leading my favorite team doesn’t hurt, either. The NFL and all of pro sports have had numerous Christians in their ranks. The late Reggie “the Minister of Defense” White and former coach Tony Dungy and the Pittsburg Steelers’ hairy star Troy Polamalu are among some other notable Christian stars. None of them has been the lightning rod of public praise and criticism that Tebow has. Lots of athletes have bowed in prayer or pointed skyward in a gesture of thanks to God, but few if any have been as controversial at the Broncos quarterback. I don’t know why. I don’t understand why people feel that striking a pose and calling it Tebowing is a trendy sign of respect and success. If all the Tebowers out there really want to pay respect, they should actually use that pose as an honest moment of prayer. If they want to mimic his success, they should call on his God, not him. Tebow is no saint or savior. He is a man. Ultimately it does not matter what he accomplishes in football or how many games he wins or awards he receives. The only thing that will matter is how he served God and what he does to advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. It’s the only thing that will make any difference when our time in this world is over. With that benchmark, I count Tebow a winner in the extreme. My love and respect for my brother in Christ will not waiver if he never wins another football game. I may become critical of him as a player, but never as a man of faith so long as he preaches and practices biblical truth. I would expect no different. If my words or actions were not in line with the Bible, I would expect someone to call me on it. Like Tebow, I’m just a man, a sinner in need of grace and redemption. Without God there is nothing. Without Jesus, I am nothing. Without the Holy Spirit, I am a shell of a man, empty of hope and meaning. Tim Tebow understands this. That is why he is so often in prayer. It’s something to emulate, not imitate. God bless you, Tim Tebow … and go Broncos! P.S. I’m all for Houston, too. Go Texans!