Tebow ignites our passions

      When Tim Tebow makes a TV appearance on Good Morning America (GMA) he gives us plenty to think about—way outside of his flirtation with national league football (NFL) and his more recent involvement in professional baseball.

      And when he throws in some chatter about his latest book, I guess he wouldn't mind my saying you get a sermonette, too. He would probably admit it with a conspiratorial smile!

      No one encapsulated Tebow’s early sporting career more crisply than Greg Bishop in The New York Times when he wrote that Tim was never just a quarterback. “He was a champion of Christianity in shoulder pads, a wholesome, fearsome football player who loved God and touchdowns, in that order.”

      Now, of course, those shoulder pads have made way for mitts, and Tebow is less concerned with touchdowns than home runs. But his love of God is clearly undiminished.  

      This was borne out recently during Tebow’s chat on GMA with a former NFL tight end, Michael Strahan.

      The focus of their conversation was Tebow’s latest book, This Is the Day: Reclaim Your Dream. Ignite Your Passion. Live Your Purpose (WaterBrook, 2018). And Tebow didn't need much prompting from Strahan to step up to the “pulpit.”

      His introduction to this, his fourth major publication, sets the scene:

      “Imagine waking up each day fueled by a whisper: ‘This is the day.’ A day for what? you wonder. A day for change. A day that can be different, better than yesterday. A day that, even in the revolving door of responsibilities and to-dos, can be filled with more purpose and passion than you think possible.”

      This hurls us right into the subject of goals and dreams and their fulfillment, along with the fears and life changes they often involve, including stepping out of one’s comfort zone.

      On GMA, Strahan wondered about coping with change, especially when one thinks of Tebow’s swift and unpredictable jinks across the line-ups of four NFL  teams and his more recent dream of succeeding at baseball—different skills, disciplines, physical attributes, and play calls. 

      Leaning forward to connect with Strahan, his razor-trimmed hair gleaming under the studio lights and his muscles bulging under a crew-neck T-shirt, Tebow  admitted that it’s always hard to cope with change.

      “I want to live life to the fullest,” he said, “but I don't want my fear to be more than my faith. I don’t want fear to dictate my choices. I don’t want fear of what people are going to say define my life.

      “I want to go after my dreams, go after my passions, and be able to live them out, regardless of whether I’m successful or not. I want to know that I took those steps and pushed for them. Fear of failure cripples a lot of people.”

      Those spontaneous bursts of homespun wisdom trickled effortlessly from the devout Christian athlete, as they do in his new book which is as unashamedly motivational as his previous offerings.

      He calls for a hearty endorsement of Psalm 118:24: “This is the day the Lord has made … rejoice and be glad in it.”  And he suggests that we ask some searching questions of ourselves.

      
      Is there something you would change?

      Is there someone you would reach out to?

      Is there something you would need to give?

      Is there something you would need to let go of?

      
      He writes: “Each day you wake up, you have a chance to get unstuck, to step out of a comfortable routine that may be limiting your potential, and to fight for something that’s important.”

      Now Strahan closes in. Blunt and firm. “What is the one mantra you live by?”

      Tebow doesn’t flinch. “My greatest goal is to love God and love people, which is something I want to live out. Let’s face it, the greatest form of love is to choose the best interests of another person and act on their behalf.”

      Not bad goals for any of us, I’d say.