Today, one of the major news on the sports scene is the trade of Tim Tebow from the Denver Broncos to the New York Jets. Like all things Tim Tebow, it has taken over the news cycle and everyone has a point to make...including me! What is truly remarkable is that at the same time, the NFL has announced major suspensions to the New Orleans Saints for having bounties on opposing players (read about it here). Yet, Tebow's trade is still filling up my twitter stream. Why?
Well, as I have previously written about (here and here), there are no shortage of opinions when it comes to Tim Tebow. The interesting thing is, though, that most of it is unrelated to the football field. Don't get me wrong, he is an unorthodox player who somehow brought his team results on the field, but most criticism is directed at his personal life, and faith. Every shortcoming that he may have on the field is followed up with mean, tasteless, and cruel comments about his faith in Jesus and his desire to live a pure life. I have seen many "jokes" about prayer, God hating certain teams because of him, and even his lack of a sexual relationship with anyone of the opposite sex (Let me say this - we don't know what Tebow does in private. We only know how he speaks and acts in public, in which he conducts himself in a spiritual and moral manner. If it were to come out tomorrow that he was not the things that he portrayed, it would not in any way, shape, or form, shake my faith in Jesus Christ.).
All of this caused me to think about the difficulties many practicing Christians face in the work place. I say practicing because many born-again believers do not share Tebow's zeal to be a testimony for Jesus Christ, and therefore never face difficulties. Many times, Christians will choose the easy way out and just try to blend in with their co-workers and employers and not face the ridicule of being "different." But isn't that our problem today? We have been conformed to the world, instead of transformed by God. If we can constantly go about our daily interactions with the world around us and never face difficulty and opposition for what we believe, then what are we doing wrong. It is good to remember the words of Jesus, who said in John 15:18, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."Have you ever face opposition and ridicule in the workplace because of your faith?
If so, how did you handle it?
I was fortunate to face anger, not ridicule, from a Wiccan I worked with. My faith is something I make known, usually by asking about another's! The anger was not directed at me personally, but at God, who 'failed' this person by their standards, so when asked, they joined a Wiccan coven. Usually my co-workers were open to discussions and I was able to discuss Christianity with Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists as well as the Wiccan. As I wrote yesterday, we always need to … be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: (1 Peter 3:15b KJV)
ReplyDeleteYes I have but did not respond to it, I went and prayed for these folks, they just do not want the kind of life I lead, and think I am foolish for giving money, time and talent to the work of some one they have never seen, well I have not seen him either, but my faith in him is unshakable, and I stand in his word, in deed and in word. We always will have opposition from the world, Jesus did, how did he handle it, he prayed and used the word of God to fight the opposition.
ReplyDeleteBut if we live what we preach, and I really believe Tim Tebow does, and that is what bothers the world, not that he is a good player, just that he represents Jesus.