Tim Tebow is arguably one of the most well-known athletes in the media. Everyone had an opinion on him and his Christianity. Tim Tebow has been at the epicenter of sports media since 2007 when he won the Heisman Trophy as a Sophomore. His athletic achievements in college were outstanding, but his professional career was not. He was with four teams (Denver Broncos, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles) in five years.
But Tim Tebow has something that many people do not, his everlasting faith in God. He has never once wavered in his faith and continues to inspire people daily. He has written two books about his trials thus far in life and his most recent one, Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity In the Midst of Life's Struggles, offers amazing insight into how he has overcome his own storms.
I would highly suggest reading Tim Tebow's books as it gives you an insight to his life and how he is no different than anyone else because he struggles with many of the same issues we all do.
I thought of eight areas that I have struggled with in my life. I have taken a few of my favorite quotes from his book that spoke to heart and that I hope can speak to others with whatever life throws their way.
When you need reassurance:
"When we are grounded in whose we are, not only can we handle the storms that come, but we can also begin to move forward in a more purposeful direction."
"This masterpiece is about you doing not just meaningless or average things, but good works, wonderful things that make a difference. This means that you are important, significant."
When you experience failure:
"When your world is shaken, when the plans and dreams you've created, perhaps even banked on, get obliterated, when the path on which you walk is moving in an unknown and a particularly unwanted direction, what do you do? Better yet, what do you hold on to? I knew in that moment, I had to hold on to truth. It was the only solid ground I had. I had to remember what God said."
"When your world starts to shake or fall apart, you can lean into Him for security, for safety. You can get through even the toughest of circumstances because God is on your side."
When you need to remember your identity:
"I like to say that identity comes not necessarily from who we are, but from whose we are."
"My identity is based on belonging to God. No one can take this foundation away from me. I know this to be true, and while I often need to be reminded, I aim to live by these truths every day."
"Regardless of how your life will impact others and what that will look like, I just know that when your identity is grounded in God, when you trust in Him, you become part of a bigger picture."
When you need to remember that God loves you:
"It's what motivates His every move, inspires His action. It's a reflection of His heart, His character. God was love even before creation, because He has always been part of an eternal community of love:the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit."
"God doesn't want your stuff. He wants your heart. It doesn't matter if you don't think it's good enough....He will take what we have to offer and multiply it in ways and for a purpose that we cannot even begin to imagine."
Fear, Faith, and Love:
"Fear doesn't make you take a bullet for someone. But love does. Let love dominate, the kind of love that we choose over our feelings, over peer pressure, over our selfish desires, over our fears, and over our disappointments."
"Choose faith. Choose to trust God more than what you feel. Choose to believe in Him whether or not you feel like it."
"What are you feeding more? Your fears, or your love for a God who has promised to be faithful?"
When you need to grow:
"Every day is an opportunity to grow, to do something different, to be better. You might have failed yesterday. That's okay. It's more important to get back up. To try again. To keep at it."
"The best way to battle your inner critic is to grow, to change, to show progress in your areas of struggle."
When you need to remember to trust in God:
"God will come through in some way or another. Sometimes in the form of an answer to prayer, other times in the form of comfort, peace, and perspective far above what's possible in our human strength."
"He is sovereign, and that although your heart may be broken in a million pieces, He will never leave or forsake you. And He can and will use even the bad to orchestrate the good."
"Trust God. Trust His heart. Trust that He loves you. Trust that He has a plan."
"While we can choose to trust God and still wrestle with doubt, we cannot trust Him while holding on to bitterness. Bitterness and trust cannot coexist."
