Why You Don’t Like Tim Tebow

Well okay, maybe not YOU, but there are a lot of those out in traditional and social media who love to do what ever they can to belittle and mock Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos. To be fair, there are those who are fans of Tim Tebow who go overboard the other way. But that discussion is for another post another day. As far as why he is so divisive, and what he does that causes such vitriol? While there may be many reasons behind this, here are the two major ones that I can come up with:

1. He is very outspoken about his faith, and that always rubs people the wrong way. The sad truth is that most of our society couldn’t publish fast enough and loud enough how great he has been in unexpectedly leading his team to victories if they knew that he was: getting drunk with his teammates afterwards, in a sexual relationship with some Hollywood scarlet, etc. How often does the media bemoan all the bad qualities of athletes, and yet when one comes along who is the opposite of MOST, he is mocked and belittled for it? But that is to be somewhat expected from non-Christians.
• What surprises me most (and maybe it shouldn’t) are all the Christians who fall into this category. But maybe it has to do with the fact that we see someone who does what we know we should be doing but have always convinced ourselves that it is impossible – sharing our faith publically and at work. Tim Tebow is an ever present example to all Christians on how to practically fulfill the Great Commission in our own life, and that convicts us.
2. He is doing more with less. This one is a little more tricky to spot, but I really think many have a problem with Tebow because they perceive him as having “no talent,” and yet he is leading his team in surprising fashion. Maybe the source of their negativity is in a lack of their own accomplishments. Seeing someone who shouldn’t be doing what he is doing makes them feel guilty for not doing more with their life when they have more self-perceived “talents” in their own business field.

Now, most who like to criticize Tebow will never say it has to do with either of the two listed above. But most articles, commentaries, tweets, etc. point to one of these two reasons. And at the end of the day, isn’t that one of the big problems within our society: taking our own shortcomings out on others who succeed where we fail? It is the idea that if I can blow out someone else’s light, mine will burn brighter, which is just not true.

Instead of finding reason’s to tear someone down, how about we congratulate them and then examine our own life to see whether or not we are using our talents, gifts, abilities, and blessings as a testimony for God to the benefit and blessing of others?