Holding a superstar to account

Tim Tebow isn’t much of a name this side of the Atlantic; but in the US, he’s a star. He’s an American football quarterback. And he’s a Christian.

And in a recent interview, he makes clear that the third of those descriptions of him is more important than the first two. But, he says, it’s a “constant battle” to keep his priorities straight.

What’s interesting is that he has a Christian friend, what he calls a prayer partner, to help him to live for Christ first and foremost. And he outlines why he needs one and what one does.

“It’s always good to have people around you who hold you accountable.”

“He’ll ask me, ‘Hey, did you get in the Word today? Were you praying today?”

“My friend doesn’t tell me what I want to hear. He tells me what I need to hear.”

Of course, ultimately we are accountable to God. And supremely, it’s His Spirit who keeps us growing and going as Christians. But I would think that if such a prominent and popular Christian as Tim Tebow needs someone to look out for him, challenge him, encourage him and question him, so do I. And so do all of us. After all, “the heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17 v 9). So I know I need others to spot me going wrong, encourage me when I’m getting it right, help me see myself clearly.

Maybe you have someone like this, who you speak to regularly and who you give implicit permission to ask you what you don’t want to answer. Thank God for them! And if you don’t, why not ask someone, and be that kind of Christian friend back to them?

Final word from Tim Tebow: “You don’t ever want to become complacent. That’s very easy to do, because life gets in the way”.