Tim Tebow is a well-known American Quarterback for the New York Jets of the NFL. This football player achieved 47 statistical records at the end of his college career and some more.
His greatest goal however, is working for Jesus. Having grown up in a Christian home, Tim started following Jesus from an early age. He wore Bible texts on his eye black on the field.
In 2009 he wore the text John 3:16, resulting in the highest Google search for the next 24 hours since it was displayed on TV. It generated 90 million searches. Unfortunately, the NFL made a new rule, called the “Tebow Rule”, prohibiting players to wear messages on the eye black.
Tim was also responsible for a brand new word in the dictionary – “tebowing”. This word derived from Tim, kneeling down at the side of the field on one knee to pray. A fan of Tim’s posted this picture on his website and in 75 days received 20,000 photograph submissions from all 7 continents in over 20 million page views.
This quarterback is involved in orphanages, hospitals, evangelism, spreading the Word of Jesus Christ. He was called to follow Jesus and he is doing it very successfully while playing football.
A man called Angus Buchan, had to move his family from Zambia to South Africa due to political unrest. He is a maize and cattle farmer who became a Christian and started following Jesus Christ.
Angus wrote a book about his life, called “Faith like potatoes” which was filmed in 2006. He and his wife are involved in Shalom Ministries as well as an orphanage and a Christian farm school. Angus held the very popular “Mighty Men Conferences” and over 400,000 people attended the last conference. He is also involved in Christian television.
Two people, a football player and a maize farmer were called by Jesus and both are very successful in their ministries by following Jesus right where they are.
Why does it happen so often that when a person is called to work for the Lord, he follows the path laid down by the institutions? We operate like sheep many times by following the one in front, thinking he knows where we need to go, while he may not even have any idea where he is heading himself and more importantly, where we are supposed to be.
When a person realises he is called to work for the Lord, the first advice he receives is to go to college, get a degree and then become a minister of a church. Our stereotyped society knows only one way and that person is consequently pushed in that direction.
Tim and Angus proved the customary way completely wrong. They started at home, the place they earned their living and started working for Jesus from their normal environment.
They expanded the horison and just lived for Jesus from where they were and they are making a huge difference.
Likewise, we should follow suit and follow Jesus where we are. If someone desires to become a minister it is fine, if he desires to stay in his job while working for Jesus, it is just as fine. As Christians, we are all called.