Tebow (Part 2): How to Lose a Game without Losing Your Testimony

Well … the Denver Broncos lost on Saturday.

It was a decisive loss (45-10), as the New England Patriots took a quick lead and never looked back.

As a football fan, I was admittedly a bit disappointed, even though the Tebow-led Broncos made it much farther this season than any analyst ever thought possible.

However, as a Christian, I was pleased with one particular aspect of Denver’s loss: the way Tim Tebow handled himself after the game.

Last Thursday, I wrote an article in which I tried to separate Tim Tebow – the person, from Tim Tebow – the cultural phenomenon. I did my best to affirm Tim as an individual, while also expressing some concerns about the media-driven hype that surrounds him.

From all I know of him, Tim Tebow, the person, is a man of character, conviction, and compassion. The cultural phenomenon (or “Tebow-Mania” as I called it) is the popular hype that has centered on the young quarterback’s unique season this year.

After defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tebow-Mania was running at its peak level last week, and probably the number one question being asked was, Does God give supernatural assistance to Tim Tebow to help him win big football games?

The obvious follow up question was, What will happen if he loses?

When the Broncos failed to mount another “miraculous” comeback on Saturday, it was inevitable that someone in the media would raise that issue. It didn’t take long. In the press conference after the game, one reporter cut right to the chase:

There’s been a lot of talk this year about faith and winning. As Solomon said, ‘Victory belongs to the Lord.’ What about losing? How do you make sense of what’s the end of your season?

So how would Tim Tebow, the person, respond to a question that clearly highlighted one of the main theological misconceptions surrounding Tim Tebow, the cultural phenomenon?

I thought the Denver quarterback’s response was excellent and worth noting. He said this:

Well, something I pray before games, during games, and after games is regardless whether I win, whether I lose, whether I’m the hero or the goat — it doesn’t matter — that I still honor the Lord and give Him the glory because He’s deserving of it. And just like my effort shouldn’t change, neither should that. So that’s how I try to approach it. Sometimes even in a loss you can honor Him more. And so, for me I just pray that my character and who I am doesn’t change. Even though you can be dejected, you can still feel hurt, you can be disappointed; but you can still honor the Lord with how you handle things.

For a professional athlete who just lost the biggest game of his pro-football career in a landslide defeat on a national stage, that was an admirable response. He didn’t cry, as though football were more important than it really is. He didn’t blame his teammates or his coaches. He didn’t make excuses. He didn’t fault God or say something silly about not having enough faith. Instead, he gave an answer that was theologically sound and inherently God-honoring. In essence, Tim was telling the media that they were missing the point: Christianity is not about winning football games; it’s about honoring the Lord in every situation, even when you lose the football game.

His answer flew in the face of the theologically-inaccurate media hype. It was Tim Tebow, the person, providing correction to a misconception fueled by the cultural phenomenon.

Since, in my previous article, I suggested that perhaps Tim Tebow could do more to correct the popular misconceptions the media buzz has created, I wanted to be quick to applaud what I thought was a job well done.

In the end, losing a football game (even in the playoffs) is nothing compared to losing one’s testimony. I’m thankful Tim Tebow didn’t forfeit his on Saturday. In fact, when it came to winning respect and maintaining dignity in the midst of defeat, I thought he excelled.

I, for one, believe the Lord was glorified by his response. And that’s something I can celebrate — even if my beloved Broncos lost the game.

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Update: For those who read Rick Holland’s article last week about Tim Tebow, be sure to see his follow up post: “If I were Tim Tebow’s Pastor (Part 2)”.