Losers (and Tim Tebow)

I just finished reading the book "Surprised by Grace" by Tullian Tchividjian.  It was a great book about the story of Jonah.  But there was a page in the book that really stuck out to me. In it he says:


"For a long time, we Christians have spent time and energy and money trying our best to convince the world we're cool, and that we're winners.  And in our world, cool means being just as prominent and prosperous, just as smart and stylish, just as successful and savvy as anybody else.  Just look at how Christians swell with pride when a successful athlete or actor or politician professes his faith.  It's as if we shout to everyone, 'See!  This guy has everything, and he's a believer - so Christianity has to be cool.'  We want to parade these celebrities and their faith before the world.
In Too Good to Be True, Michael Horton asks, 'Have you ever seen a janitor interviewed for his testimony?'  The reason we haven't is that God-fearing janitors don't represent strength or intelligence or coolness in our culture.  They're viewed as less valuable than the famous entertainer or the sports star or the rising politician.  And we, as the church, have adopted the same categorization."


Of course, when I read this I immediately thought of Tim Tebow.  Over the past month, ESPN can't go five seconds without mentioning him.  And whenever he is brought up, his faith is too.  SNL just did a skit mocking his outspoken Christian beliefs.  To say the least, Tebow is a controversial and polarizing figure.  But I'm not going to talk about him, I'm tired of hearing about him.


Instead, let's talk about the losers.  The janitors, the average Joes, the run-of-the-mill Christians who rarely get noticed or talked about.  While God uses gifted stars like Tim Tebow, He changes the world through the nobodies.  


Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.  Acts 4:13


It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples.  Deuteronomy 7:7


Moses said to the LORD, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.  Exodus 4:10


These are only three examples, but the Bible is full of stories of God using the most unlikely people.  The people society writes off, the people that have been abused and neglected, the people who aren't amazing, but are just average.


In light of this truth, remember that God can and will use anybody.  When the Spirit of God is in a believer, it doesn't matter who they are, what they've done, or what people think of them, because God can shake the very foundations of the world through a nobody.


But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  2 Corinthians 12:9


"The gospel, however, is not just for the all-star and the illustrious and the legendary.  It's for the loser.  It's for the defeated, not the dominant." -Tullian Tchividjian