I’m not a big sports fan though I do enjoy watching my hometown Ravens and Orioles. So why am I now writing about the Denver Broncos? It all comes down to faith.

“First of all, thank you Lord.” That’s what I heard when I turned on the TV this morning.  Because I live with a husband and son who are avid football fans, I’ve managed to hear quite a bit about Tim Tebow over the last couple of months. We were in Denver (searching the radio band for the Ravens game) when Tebow lead his team to victory over Kansas City in a game in which he completed only two passes.  Sports commentators talked about him nonstop for weeks. In one discussion I heard the panel of sports experts ask “are you a believer?”– meaning – do you believe this quarterback who can’t seem to throw a pass can lead his team to victory?

Well many are believers now after last night’s win over the Steelers. And I think that’s because Tebow is a believer–not in himself, but in God.  When I first started hearing about this quarterback, sportscasters and other players weren’t quite sure how he was doing it, but it was clear that Tebow inspired his team to win.  Now  I’m sure his faith has a lot to do with it.

I saw bits of last night’s game and several times I saw him kneel after a big play. I hoped he was praying, but I wasn’t sure. Then this morning, I heard the start of a press conference and the first words out of his mouth gave thanks to God for the achievements that all the reporters were asking about.

Now I’m a believer – not only in the Lord but also in a professional sports figure who has kept his perspective and can publicly give glory where it is due. You don’t get to be a quarterback in the NFL without having been an outstanding athlete for years beforehand. Players who are that good hear about it all their lives and they can usually see that they are more talented than the other players in their peewee league, high school and college teams. It would be hard not to believe it when everyone tells you how good you are.

But Tebow has resisted that flattery and instead remembered that it is God who is good, God who is great, and God who deserves the praise.

I’m a believer – because he is.