Is Tebow good for our children?

I admit, I've caught Tebowitis or Tebowmania or Tebowrama ... whatever it's called, I have it.

I love the fact that Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is baffling sports pundits and haters as to his success, despite their so-called "statistical proof" he's bad. I love his humble attitude on the field, and his coolness during press conferences. And I especially love his public displays of his faith in Jesus Christ - Tebowing as it's now called.

He's a polarizing figure which makes for really good water cooler discussions. He's also a great segue for Christians to share their faith without coming across as too preachy or pushy.  But all this hype, and an e-mail from my grandmother, got me to thinking is he a good role model for our kids? Is he taking away something that should be a parent's role? Is the religious hype surrounding him misguided?

Tebow is in the same shoes (or cleats, as it were) thousands of athletes and other celebrities have worn -  he is looked up to and idolized by millions for the mere fact he's in the public spotlight. It doesn't hurt that he's squeaky clean too. Back in my preteen days, that guy was Michael Jordan (remember the "I Wanna be Like Mike" Gatorade commercial?). For a Christian kid it's gotta be huge to be able to have someone who is outspoken about their faith, but is still considered "cool." As Christian parents, it's easy to let our kids get caught up in the hype without so much as talking to them about it.

I question how healthy it is for kids to idolizing a famous person no matter how wholesome they seem. Not that long ago, many admirers were crushed when they found out about Tiger Woods' marital indiscretions. I certainly didn't see that coming. But his case serves as a good example of what happens when you put your faith in or idolize someone other than God.

I just got finished reading the book of Judges for my quiet time. This whole book in the Bible is devoted to how time and time again God's people strayed away and worshiped false idols, then paid a hefty price when their enemies killed or enslaved them. It was only through God's forgiveness were they able to live peacefully.

I doubt Tebow views himself as a worshiped idol (even though he may be to some), but I also think that he's very careful about the image he portrays. That's a lot of pressure for one person. There are people out there watching and waiting for him to make one little slip-up so they can exploit it. And frankly, he probably will. He's human. He's not Jesus Christ - the only perfect being to walk on this earth. I can also see many people getting upset for whatever that mistake is. If history is any indication, instead of forgiving Tebow, they'll unfairly blame him for letting them and their kids down.

As Christian parents, we need to strive to be our children's role models. It's too important of a job to leave for someone we see on TV, no matter how charming they appear. Kids catch mere glimpses of their favorite celebrity's life. However, they see everything we do, they hear everything we say. For those of us who've dedicated our children at church, we vowed before our God and our congregation to raise them in a Christian household with Christian values. We didn't vow that job on someone else.

The other part of this is when we let our kids listen to the unfiltered public conversation about Tebow's faith, they're hearing mass media's take on religion - not the truth. That e-mail my grandmother sent was a "Stillspeaking Daily Devotional" she gets. In it Lillian Daniel, a minister for a First Congregational Church, asserts that it's flawed theology to think that Tim Tebow is winning because he has God's favor (an assertion made by Tebow's pastor). I know that pastor isn't the only one - my Facebook feed explodes with that thinking every time Tebow wins (After a loss we all saw something like, "Guess God is a Patriots fan. LOL.") Daniel said there are no doubt others out there praying just as hard for the opposing teams. Why didn't they win the games? 

Things like touchdowns are "human affairs," she wrote. "God doesn't reward one player with a touchdown and curse another. God gives us the instructions on how to withstand the hard times, and how to withstand the good times, with these wise words from Micah: do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God."

Daniel makes a very good point. The Broncos aren't winning because Tebow is Christian and he prays really hard for a win. But that's the tone the national conversation is taking as to the reason behind his supposed out-of-nowhere success. With that thinking, we'd all just have to pray for our millions of dollars, big homes, and perfect families. God simply doesn't work that way.

No doubt, God is doing some awesome things in Tim Tebow's life. He's probably got some big plans for the young quarterback. Maybe he's the tool God will use to spread the gospel to those who see their couch as the pew and Mike Ditka as their pastor. I don't know. I look forward to watching what happens.

What I do know is that God didn't intend is for Tebow to be the one we go to. We find that by Tebowing - getting down on one knee, bowing our head, and praying to our Father.