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How does God talk to you?

By Jeremy Myers
21 Comments

How does God talk to you?

This is a guest post by Mike Edwards.

Mike asks questions in hopes one may reconsider any beliefs about God that may discourage one from pursuing God and spirituality. Mike blogs at: What God May Really Be Like – Misbeliefs About God. Visit his website to learn more about him and his books.

Note from Jeremy Myers: I am publishing several guest posts this summer as I take some time off to rest. I am also preparing for something HUGE this fall. Stay tuned! If you would like to write a Guest Post for RedeemingGod, begin by reading the Guest Blogger Guidelines.

how to hear God

It can be very confusing how one is supposed to relate to an invisible God.

Frustrations can lead to simply giving up having a meaningful relationship with one’s Creator. I understand that some people claim that God speaks to them directly, but this is not the experience of the majority of those who seek a relationship with God. Many may prefer that God would speak more directly but this doesn’t always leads to the results we may think.

The Bible suggests that God spoke directly with the first couple in the garden, but this experience seemed to wane as history progressed. And while Moses says he spoke to God face to face (Exod 33:11, when God sets out to communicate to the Israelites, He did so through the mediation of Moses, and by inscribing the commandments on stone with the finger of God (Exod 31:18). We don’t know exactly what types of communication these were but most would agree that God was no longer communicating in the same way He communicated with Adam and Eve.

Since God doesn’t speak audibly or write in stones to us, how can we know that we hear the voice of God?

Many of us talk out loud to God or we pray silently and then thoughts come into mind. Are such thoughts from the mind of God?

Well, there is some bad news and some good news.

We can’t know for certain that our thoughts are inspired by God, but the good news is God’s love is supportive not controlling. God gives us freedom to make decisions in an open future. Any number of decisions can be made in our situation. God does not predetermine our future. This indicates that while we want to hear more directly from God, God indicates His responsiveness to us by not predetermining everything we think, say, and do. He responds to us as we respond to Him. This means that while we may not be able to hear the voice of God, we can see His response to us through how life unfolds as we pray and communicate with Him.

God always listens

One benefit to God’s approach to us is that He always listens. Most of us want a good listener in a relationship. Very few of us want to be told what to do, or we would always take the advice of others rather than frequently having a comeback as to why one’s suggestion won’t work. Opinions are not always helpful or welcomed. Besides, one’s interference can prevent growth and self-satisfaction resulting from making independent choices. We want to be heard by another soul to talk out situations and share burdens that are heavy to carry alone.

If can be comforting to know God is always available to listen. We may be embarrassed to share our latest relapse with a friend. God doesn’t heap more guilt on us. God has endless mercy and forgiveness so we don’t give up no matter how demoralized we may feel. God is always available in times of loneliness. Friends can’t always be available in the middle of the night. We may feel that we are overburdening our friends by constantly going to them. God’s shoulders surely are much bigger.

god speaks to humans

But, I want to hear what God thinks!

We all want to know what God thinks. But the truth is that we already mostly know what God thinks. If you think about it, we already know most of what God thinks about most issues. Therefore, talking with God is mostly for emotional support.

And as for the issues where we want God’s input on our life decisions, God withholds His input because He wants us to make our own decisions.

It is helpful to think about moral versus immoral actions. When it comes to most moral issues, God has already pretty clearly told us in Scripture what the best course of action is.

But many decisions aren’t moral – what job to take, whether to move to a different city, etc. God doesn’t predetermine our future so we have to wonder the “right” decision. God doesn’t know if your partner is suddenly not going to honor their commitment when challenges arise. Wise decisions are simply taking into account past experiences, current circumstances, future aspirations, and going for it. God’s love is both freeing and uncontrolling. He doesn’t tell us what to do in such cases, because in some sense, He is just as excited as we are to find out what we will do and what will come of it.

Some relational decisions seem to have a touch of morality that we aren’t sure what God would do. God’s love is still freeing. God isn’t hiding. Should we forgive a mom and sibling for participating in favoritism? Neither admits to any favoritism but such actions are clear to most outsiders. The Bible can be used to suggest always forgive or forgiveness is only possible when one acknowledges wrongdoing. Jesus once said to rebuke others but if they repent forgive them (Luke 17:4). One may forgive to best deal with personal bitterness. Others may not forgive to avoid further bitterness since the guilty denies wrongdoing.

In relationships there isn’t always a “right” thing to do. It is more complicated for leaders of nations for they are making decisions for millions, thus governments best have checks and balances.

Still, a relationship with God isn’t about being told what to do. It is considering how a loving God may think on a matter and feeling free to make a decision based on your present circumstances. If you are insisting God guarantee a certain outcome, then you are asking God to be a controller. A loving God would speak audibly if necessary; otherwise, assume you have God’s blessings if it isn’t immoral or violating the rights of others. Don’t live in fear; live in the knowledge of God’s love. And don’t demand certainty, for this is something even God cannot guarantee in a free world.

I know some of what I have written is controversial. So what do you think? How can we hear the voice of God? How can we know what to do with certain decisions in life? How does a loving God help guide and direct us through life? Share your input and ideas in the comment section below.

God is Redeeming Life Bible & Theology Topics: guest blogging, guest post, hearing God, prayer, voice of God

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How to talk to God for REAL

By Jeremy Myers
41 Comments

How to talk to God for REAL

what is prayerHow do you talk to God? How should we talk to God?

I often hear Christians who have picked up a really bad habit of saying “Father God” at least once every 5 words. I am not making this up. You have probably heard something like it yourself.

Such prayers sound like this:

Father God, I thank you, Father God, for being here, Father God, and for allowing us, Father God, to study Scripture today, Father God. And Father God, may you bless our minds, Father God, with your Spirit, Father God, so that, Father God, we may become more Christlike, Father God, and in your name, Father God, bring others to you, Father God.

And on and on it goes. I have written about this before here. Such a way of praying certainly develops a good rhythm, but is that really what we are going for in our prayers? Rhythm? No. I think that when we pray, our goal should be communication with God.

So how can you do that?

Talk to God like you Talk to Others

When people say “Father God” over and over in their prayers, I imagine God does not mind as much as I do … but please, when you pray, learn to talk to God like you talk to anyone else. You do not need fancy words, fancy language, or lots of repetition.

And God definitely doesn’t need to be reminded of who we are talking to.

On a recent Facebook Post, Vicki Manera shared this image with me:

talk to God

Let’s start talking to God the way we talk to anyone else. God does not need to be reminded that we are talking to Him.

In fact, you don’t even need to start your prayers with the word “Dear” and end them with the word “Amen.” Do you do this when talking to anyone else? Nope. So just talk to God like you talk to any other friend who is standing right next to you. Because that is exactly where God is.

The Lord’s Prayer for Today

Here is “The Lord’s Prayer” which follows this way of thinking about God and about prayer:

Hey Dad, I know that you want people to know who you are, and so help me learn to follow your ways here on earth just as they are followed in heaven. Help me do this by trusting you for my needs today and avoiding the way the world wants me to live. Hopefully as you teach me to live this way, others will come to know you through me. I’m serious about this, okay?

Now really, that prayer is quite generic. It doesn’t say much. But it’s a template for how our conversations with God can go. You don’t need to memorize this prayer or recite it. After all, do you memorize a conversation you want to have with your wife and recite it to her every night at dinner? I hope not…

The point is this … God is a real person who wants to have real conversations with you. So talk to Him that way!

Do you want to pray like never before?

Do you what to talk to God like you talk to a friend? Do you want to see more answers to prayer?

If you have these (and other) questions about prayer, let me send you some teaching and instruction about prayer to your email inbox. You will receive one or two per week, absolutely free. Fill out the form below to get started.

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God is Redeeming Life, Redeeming Theology Bible & Theology Topics: how to pray, prayer, talk to God, The Lords Prayer, What is prayer

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Why God Hides from You

By Jeremy Myers
37 Comments

Why God Hides from You

Why God hidesHave you ever wondered why God doesn’t make Himself more obvious?

Have you wondered why He doesn’t write His name in the clouds so they say, “I Am God and I Exist! Believe in Me!” or call out to us with a booming voice from heaven, or simply just show up in all His splendor and glory?

Even when He did come in the person of Jesus Christ, He came masked in human flesh, cloaking Himself in humility and frailty.

Why does God do this?

Why does God hide?

Why doesn’t God make Himself more … obvious?

I have been thinking about this off and on for … well, just about my whole life.

I remember in my teens reading Romans 1 where Paul says that God has revealed Himself in nature so that men are without excuse, and I remember thinking, “I don’t know about that … I see evidence of God in the beauty and complexity of creation, but I also see a whole lot of evil. God’s existence and management of the universe is not obvious. If God had wanted to make Himself obvious, He should have spelled out His name in the stars or something. God should show up every 50 years or so just to prove to each generation that He is still around.”

I know that many people think that this is what God IS doing through answer to prayer, and daily blessings, and so on, but in our more honest moments, I think all of us wish that God would make His existence more obvious.

(Of course, probably no matter what He did, we humans would still explain it away somehow… we have an amazing ability to ignore what is plainly set before us… but this is a tangent I won’t follow…. )

We all want God to just jump down out of heaven and show up in front of us, and shout, “I’m here! I know what you’re going through! I have heard your prayers! I am with you! I will help you!”

But He doesn’t.

I want God to hit me over the head with a two by four!

I remember as a pastor standing out side of my house with a man from the church who struggled with alcohol. He had just come off a drinking binge and was standing there in my yard repenting and confessing and wondering if God still loved Him and forgave Him even though he had failed God AGAIN!

I kept trying to reassure this man that God will always love him and forgive him, but he wasn’t taking my word for it, nor did he want Scripture verses. He wanted God Himself to show up. He kept saying, “You know what I need pastor? I need God to hit me over the head with a two by four. I just want God to cold-cock me. To lay me flat out on my back!”

two by fourHe and I were talking next to our wood pile (we heated our home with fire wood) and there was a two by four sitting right on top … it was about four feet long … perfect for knocking someone over the head. He pointed to it and said, “See that two by four, God? Come on! Hit me over the head with it! Right now! If you exist and if you love you me, knock me out!”

God never did, of course …

But I almost reached out and picked up that two by four and hit this man over the head. I came so close. He would have gotten angry and asked why I did it, and I would have said, “God told me to.”

I didn’t do it, though.

One reason was because I was afraid I might kill him, and the other reason is because I was pretty sure he had a gun in his car. I was afraid that if I hit him over the head, he might shoot me …

The point is that I think that in our more honest moments, all of us feel like this man.

We desperately need God to show up, and He doesn’t.

God never seems to show up when we most need Him to.

At least, He doesn’t show up in any way we can discern.

We’re even willing to suffer violence at the hand of God if He would just stop hiding from us!

But instead, God always seems to be Missing in Action. Distant. Giving us the silent treatment.

It is so frustrating.

And many of us end up feeling like we have offended God. That He is angry with us and wants nothing to do with us any longer.

Why Does God Hide?

Anyway, I have recently realized why God hides … Why God does not make Himself more obvious … Why He doesn’t write His name in the clouds or knock us over the head with two by fours.

praying to GodGod hides Himself because God loves and respects us so much.

If God revealed Himself to all humanity in the way that we want, we would have no choice to believe in Him and follow Him.

If God showed up in all His power and glory — if we survived this appearance (which we probably wouldn’t) — we would be forced to submit to Him.

And God never forces Himself on anyone.

God does not want to force people into believing in Him.

He has no desire to make people follow Him against their will. God wants us to love Him, and He knows that love cannot be forced.

If He showed up in all His power and glory, it would akin to a man holding a gun at a woman’s head and screaming at her, “LOVE ME!” We call that rape.

And God is not like that. God does not rape.

He knows that forced love is not real love. And more than anything else, God desires real and genuine love from us.

God knows that if He were to reveal Himself to us the way most of us want, we would be forced into loving Him.

Terence Fretheim in his book, The Suffering of God, states this point brilliantly:

For God to be fully present would be coercive; faith would be turned into sight and humankind could not but believe. For God to be loved by people for God’s own sake, without being forced into it, requires a measure of human autonomy. Too direct a divine presence would annul human existence as a flame kills a butterfly. God must set people at a certain distance from God; whatever the intensification of presence, there must an element of ambiguity. God’s presence cannot be obvious.

Yes, this is why God hides. This is why He withdraws. This is why He retreats.

God is not silentBecause He loves us.

But even from afar, He is not silent.

Though He wants us to love Him, He first loved us, and love is not silent.

And then He woos.

He calls.

He sends “secret admirer” gifts.

He writes mysterious love notes.

He writes love songs and records them on our hearts.

Then He waits. And He hopes.

He waits for us to seek Him.

He hopes that we will search for Him.

And when we do, He begins to reveal Himself in new and exciting ways that He could not do before.

So do you want to see God? Look for Him. He is not obvious, but He is there.

And when you seek for Him, you will find Him, when you seek Him with all your heart.

God is not so hidden that He cannot be found.

God is Redeeming Theology Bible & Theology Topics: forgiveness, grace, prayer, Theology of God, Theology of Man

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What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?

By Jeremy Myers
35 Comments

What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?

Jesus says that whatever you ask for in his name will be given to you (John 14:13-14). But what does that mean?

In an attempt to follow Jesus’ instructions, many parents and churches teach (usually by example) that every prayer should conclude with the words “…in Jesus’ name, Amen.” But is this what Jesus meant?

In Jesus name

Sometimes you hear people take this idea to an extreme, and they say, “…in Jesus’ name” over and over throughout their prayer such as this:

Father, we come before you in the name of Jesus, to ask  you, Father, that you bless our time together, in Jesus’ name. And we bring forward our needs to you, Father, thinking of Ruth and her ingrown toenail, that you would heal it, Father, in Jesus’ name. And we lift up to you the sick cat of Carol. You know, Father, how the cat has been throwing up all night, and how Carol loves the cat which you gave her, and so we ask that you reach down out of heaven and touch her cat in Jesus’ name, Father, and deliver her cat from this malady that is causing the cat and Carol so much problem, in Jesus’ name…

And so on. (And while you might think I am trying to be funny with requests about toenails and sick cats, if you have been in many prayer meetings, you know that these sorts of requests are not uncommon.)

Even when Christians are able to root out of their prayers all the repetitious mentioning of “Father” and “in Jesus’ name,” it is still quite common for most Christians to end their prayers with the word, “… in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

I admit I do this. It is a habit I just cannot break.

in Jesus nameBut why would I want to break it?

Doesn’t Jesus tell us to pray in His name?

Well, yes, He does. But His instruction does not mean that we liberally sprinkle our prayers with the magic words “in Jesus’ name” or that we even close out our prayers with these words.

When we do this, we are treating the words “in Jesus’ name” like they are some sort of magical incantation by which we will get whatever we ask for in prayer. But that is not at all what Jesus meant, and in fact, mindlessly repeating the words “in Jesus’ name” to get what we ask for in prayer is actually the exact opposite of what Jesus meant when He invited us to pray in His name.

What does it mean to pray “in Jesus’ name”?

To pray “in Jesus’ name” means to pray as if Jesus Himself was praying our prayers.

When an ambassador visits another country “in the name of the king” (or president) it is as if his king (or president) is speaking the words that the ambassador speaks. The leaders of these other countries are to assume that whatever the ambassador says, it is as if the king (or president) himself said them.

Obviously then, the ambassador had better be certain that what he says is exactly what the king himself would say. If an ambassador says something foolish or insulting, he could easily start a war or ruin a trade agreement or destroy a treaty. To be a good ambassador, the ambassador needs to know the mind and heart and will of his king so intimately, that the two minds are nearly one.

This is what it means to pray “in Jesus’ name.” They are not magic words to get what you want, but are a mind frame we must adopt when praying to God. We must so intimately know the mind and heart and will of Jesus in whatever situation we are praying about, that the words we speak are the same exact words Jesus would speak if He Himself were the one making the petition to God.

How to Pray in Jesus’ Name

So to expand a bit on what Jesus said in John 14:13-14, I think His words could be paraphrased this way:

But when you pray, spend time thinking about what I value, what I have instructed you, how I lived my life, the kind of example I provided, the people I hung out with, the goals I sought to achieve, the relationship I had with God. Take careful notice of what I taught and what I prayed for. Then, offer your requests to God in light of these things. And when you do, make these requests boldly, knowing that the words you speak are the same words I am speaking. And when you pray this way, know that your prayers will be answered.

in Jesus name amenIf you are not completely confident that what you are praying is what Jesus Himself would pray, this is when it is best to add the little caveat to your prayers of “if it is your will.” This way, in your conversations with God, you can tell Him what is heavy on your heart and weighs on your mind, but you are telling Him that you trust Him to make the best decision since you yourself do not know what is best.

In my opinion, most of the prayers we pray will be of this second sort, where we recognize that our hearts can be deceived and our minds darkened, and so we leave judgment and decision up to God.

To “pray with faith” is not to summon up so much “confidence” that God is somehow “forced” to do what we ask. No, to pray with faith is to offer our requests to God, knowing that He loves us and will do what is best for us, even if this involves not giving us what we have asked for.

So let us stop praying with magical words by which we try to coerce God and manipulate Him to do what we want. Stop using magic words in your prayers.

Instead, let us spend time learning the heart and mind of Jesus so that our prayers can match His prayers, and then, when we pray, pray with the humility of faith, knowing that God will do what is best for us.

Do I need to say ‘Amen’ at the end of my prayers?

Do you want to pray like never before?

Do you what to talk to God like you talk to a friend? Do you want to see more answers to prayer?

If you have these (and other) questions about prayer, let me send you some teaching and instruction about prayer to your email inbox. You will receive one or two per week, absolutely free. Fill out the form below to get started.

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God is Redeeming Life, Redeeming Theology Bible & Theology Topics: answers to prayer, how to pray, Jesus name, John 14:13-14, prayer, What is prayer

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Why the Eagles Cut Tim Tebow

By Jeremy Myers
81 Comments

Why the Eagles Cut Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow EaglesDo you want to know why the Eagles cut Tim Tebow? Or why the Patriots and Jets didn’t keep him on their roster? Or why the Broncos traded him?

It’s not because of his quarterback skills (or lack thereof, depending on who you ask). From a purely statistical perspective, Tim Tebow is better than most 3rd string quarterbacks and many 2nd string quarterbacks in the NFL.

It is also not the media frenzy that follow Tim Tebow wherever he goes, though this is part of it.

The real reason that the Eagles cut Tim Tebow is because Tim Tebow believes that his purpose on a football team is to evangelize his teammates and the coaching staff. Every time he gets a camera in his face, he starts talking about Jesus and giving glory to God for letting him play football.

But NFL Coaches don’t put people on their team to give them a platform to share their religious ideas. Nor do they put people on their team to share their political ideas. Or to sell their branded merchandise.

Imagine what would happen if an NFL football player, every time he got a camera in his face, said, “I’m just glad I get to play this game because it gives me the opportunity to tell you about my line of t-shirts and hats. Go to my store today to buy one!” No NFL coach in the league wants someone like that on their team.

NFL Coaches put players on their teams to win football games.

In the locker room, in team meetings, in coaching meetings, on the field, and in front of the cameras, Tim Tebow was always talking about Jesus and inviting people to believe in Jesus, and on and on and on.

It’s not about Tim Tebow getting more reps in the CFL. If Chip Kelly really believed that all Tim Tebow needed to become an NFL-quality QB was more reps, Kelly could have given that to Tebow in practices. No, that excuse is a smoke-screen. Kelly can’t come out and say he cut Tebow because Tebow spent half his time practicing and the other half proselyting, because the religious right in this country would scream and yell about religious discrimination.

But it’s not religious discrimination. It’s about not doing your job because of your religion. (Like the clerk in Kentucky who won’t issue marriage licenses … If she can’t do her job for religious reasons, that’s fine, but then she needs to quit her job.)

Tim Tebow prayingIf Tim Tebow wants to play in the NFL as a quarterback, here is my recommendation to him: “Tim, stop praying after you score a touchdown. Stop putting “John 3:16” in your eye black. Stop giving thanks to Jesus whenever you win a game.”

I agree with Jake Plummer, who, in 2011, gave Tebow the best advice, but which Tebow never heeded. Jake Plummer said this:

“I wish he’d just shut up after a game and go hug his teammates,” Plummer said, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. “I think that when he accepts the fact that we know that he loves Jesus Christ then I think I’ll like him a little better. I don’t hate him because of that, I just would rather not have to hear that every time he takes a good snap or makes a good handoff.”

I can hear the Christian outrage already.

What? You want Tim Tebow to stop witnessing? You want him to stop thanking God for his successes? We’re not supposed to be ashamed of the Gospel! With all the murders and wife-beaters in the NFL, it’s nice to have a good Christian role model for a change, and you want him to just shut up about his faith in Jesus?! What kind of heathen heretic are you, anyway?

Yes, well, hear me out.

I am thrilled that Tim Tebow is outspoken about his faith. Notice that I never said anything about him hiding the fact that he’s an evangelical Christian.

But Tim Tebow is making a basic mistake about witnessing, which is the same mistake a lot of Christians make.

Lots of Christians think that if they gain some sort of prominence in the public sphere, this means that they are responsible for using their position or their prominence as a platform to witness to other people.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

If a Christian becomes the CEO of a large corporation, God has not put him or her in that position so that they can witness to all the employees of the corporation, shout “Praise Jesus!” whenever they land a big account, or open up all their board meetings with prayer. God does not raise up Christians to places of prominence so they can cram Christianity down other people’s throats.

No, the person in a position of power or prominence is there so they can be the best CEO possible. They may include (but is not limited to) providing good wages and fair treatment to employees, and operating the business with honesty, transparency, and generosity. It means running the business in an ethical way, with creativity and imagination.

I hate it when well-meaning Christians tell powerful, prominent, rich Christians that “God raised you up for such a time as this.” Then they are told that God raised them up so they can hand out gospel tracts to their employees, or take a stand for “biblical marriage,” or some such nonsense.

I hear such things, I just want to barf.

If God raised someone up to be a CEO (which is debatable), then it was not to hand out gospel tracts or take a stand for “biblical marriage,” but is for the purpose of being the best CEO they can possibly be. If God really raised a person up to be a CEO of a company, it would be for the purpose of showing the world how a business can successfully be run according to the principles and values of the Kingdom of God rather than the principles of the rulers of this world. Same goes for politics, music, art, and sports.

This brings us back to Tim Tebow.

Tim Tebow John 3:16If God truly raised up Tim Tebow to be an NFL quarterback (which is debatable), then it was not so that Tim could announce his Christian faith by praying in the End Zone and praising Jesus at press conferences. No, God raised up Tim Tebow to be a quarterback so that he can be the best quarterback Tim Tebow can be. Period.

If Tim Tebow wants to be a quarterback in the NFL, he needs to be an NFL quarterback; not a missionary quarterback. Not a prophet quarterback. Not a “God’s spokesman” quarterback. Just a quarterback. He needs to work hard, throw the ball, and run the ball. And he must do it all with honesty, integrity, and a good work ethic both on and off the field.

Someone needs to tell Tim Tebow that the NFL stage is not for proclaiming the Gospel but for playing football.

If you still disagree with me, let me make one more point.

When Tim Tebow played for the Denver Broncos and knelt to give thanks to God every time he scored, what exactly was the message he was proclaiming to all who watched him? I think Tim Tebow thought he was showing everybody that he was thankful to God.

But thankful for what?

For letting Tim play football in the NFL?

If that is the case, what about all the other Christian quarterbacks who also wanted to play in the NFL but never had the chance? Does God love Tim Tebow more? Does God hear his prayers more? Is Tim Tebow more faithful than those other quarterbacks?

Or maybe the prayers of Tim Tebow were his way of giving thanks to God for scoring a touchdown?

But again, if this is the case, what does this tell the Christian players on the opposing team’s defense? Does Tim think that God heard his own prayers and ignored those of the Christians on the defense? If Tim threw an interception, would he like it if the opposing team knelt down to thank God for Tim’s bad pass?

Tim Tebow and GodHere’s the point: Whatever Tim Tebow’s motives might be (and I think they are pure), his prayers on the field tell the world that God hears and answers the prayers of some people more than those of others. This further implies that everybody who doesn’t seem to have the success, money, or fame that Tim Tebow has, must have less faith than Tim, or maybe God just doesn’t love them as much as He apparently loves Tim.

I really, really doubt that this is the message Tim wants to send when he kneels to pray in the end zone.

Which is why I encourage Tim to stop praying on the football field.

And the “John 3:16” on his eye lids needs to go as well, for the same reasons. If he wants to invite people to believe in Jesus for eternal life, let him do it in one of his numerous speaking engagements, or in personal conversations with friends off the field. But when he’s on the field, this is not the time to share the gospel, but to live the gospel by being the most hard-working, honest, ethical, cheerful, and dependable quarterback he can possibly be.

And this will be a good example to the rest of us about how to be a Christian in this world. I am not a good Christian if I refuse to do my work because I have to pray for 15 minutes out of every hour “in order to show my coworkers how good of a Christian I am.” I am not a good Christian if I refuse to work with certain coworkers because they have a lifestyle I disapprove of. I am not a good Christian if I show up late for work because “my morning devotions went too long.”

Look, we Christians are not good Christian witnesses when we stop doing the things we should be doing because we want to “be a witness.” No, we are good Christian witnesses when we work hard at being the best we can be in whatever job or position we find ourselves.

Christian witnessing is not accomplished by trying to be a witness.

Christian witnessing is accomplished by living life the best we can and loving others in the process as much as we are able. When we do this, we naturally become a witness to how a life looks that is transformed by God.

So if Tim Tebow truly want to follow his lifelong dream of being an NFL quarterback, I suggest he lose the Christian circus. This begins with letting his passing, not his praying, do the talking.

God is Redeeming Life Bible & Theology Topics: Discipleship, evangelism, prayer, witnessing

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