The Best

We have been given incredible resources in order that we may fulfill what God has called us to do, and it's all predicated on our love relationship with Jesus Christ:  we serve Him because we love
Him. Colossians 3 states:
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

So much wisdom in those verses just about our effort and our motivation for exerting it.  We are called to do our work, whatever form it may take, with enthusiasm.  But, we also recognize the "why": because we serve Him and want to honor Him.  I believe that we should put forth our best effort, with diligence and a desire for excellence, so that God may be praised.  Our witness to others is enhanced as we rely on the power of God working mightily through us.

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In Ecclesiastes 9, we see that Solomon is encouraging us to work hard, but we also recognize that we
are to depend on the strength of the Lord. We can read:
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
11 I returned and saw under the sun that-- The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.

Face it - people just like Tim Tebow: his effervescent smile and radiant personality, which I believe come from His relationship with Christ, attract people to Him.  The former Heisman Trophy winner has landed gigs with SEC Nation on the SEC Network and was a feature host on Good Morning America.  He is generous with his resources: he has a foundation and has built a hospital in the Philippines.  And, the foundation hosts prom events for people with special needs each year; in fact, Montgomery has its first "Night of Joy" coming up in February of next year.

So, it's not surprising that Tim has just been named as host of a new reality series called, Million Dollar Mile, which has as its executive producer none other than LeBron James.  A ChristianHeadlines.com article outlines the concept:

The ten-episode series follows competitors as they try to win $1 million. According to Deadline.com, competitors will have the opportunity to win the $1 million prize when they run the Million Dollar Mile, but first, they must complete what Deadline is calling, “the most challenging course ever designed.”

While completing the course, competitors will also have to beat elite athletes whose job is to stop the contestants from winning the money.

The series is set to air on CBS.  The article quotes from the network's website:

“Watching good people compete at their highest ability is always inspirational to me,” said Tebow while speaking of the show. “Million Dollar Mile is a show that does just that – it motivates, thrills and is aspirational, and I’m excited to be hosting this show.”

The CBS site also notes that: Alongside Matt 'Money' Smith, the play-by-play voice of the Los Angeles Chargers, and ESPN's Maria Taylor, Tebow is set to oversee commentary for the show, which is currently in production for a 10-episode debut season.

We know about Tim Tebow's Christian faith, but did you know about Maria Taylor.  You may recognize her for her stint on SEC Nation and as an ESPN sideline reporter; yes, she was the one who asked Coach Saban about the Alabama quarterback situation earlier in the season and the coach gave an answer that he later apologized for.  Maria, like Tebow, is a Christian.  In a Sports Spectrum article from earlier this year quoting from the Chris Craft podcast, we can read:

Taylor didn’t have a walk with Christ through high school despite going to a few FCA events but it was in college when she was introduced to church by her best friend and teammate Katie and then things began to change.

“I enjoyed being there and seeing what these people seemingly had. Everyone seemed nice. From that I started going to our Bible studies with a group of student athletes. It was all women. It was a very comfortable setting, you could be very open and honest. And finally we started having real discussions and that’s how I was kind of introduced to what having a relationship with Christ looked like.”

The article notes that she has grown in her walk with the Lord:

“We can’t do anything to be loved anymore. It’s about knowing that God is worthy and He wants a relationship with us,” Taylor shared. “It was a long and tedious journey and figuring out that I’m not the athleticism, I’m not any of the skills I have. I am who God is in me. And that’s it. That has helped me a lot.”

Taylor says her identity in Christ has helped her deal with the criticisms that come her way everyday in her broadcasting career and being a public personality.

Maria is also involved in The Winning Edge, which helps to connect and prepare women and minority students for careers in the sports industry.  I would say that God has certainly blessed her efforts in the world of sports, having been a former athlete at the University of Georgia, an all-SEC volleyball player, and now in her pursuit of excellence in sports journalism.  Now, there's another open door for her.

I think one valuable lesson we can apply to our lives is that we should seek to fulfill the call that God has placed on us - with excellence.  The world would say, "be the best you can be."  God says, "be who I have called you to be."  And, with a desire to honor Him, we can seek to perform in His strength.

I believe that we should pursue excellence because it pleases God and produces satisfaction.  There is a sense of fulfillment from knowing that we have worked hard, that we have been diligent, and that we have developed the skills that enable us to do what we are called to do.  But we keep in mind that we are not our gifts; we are not our skills - they are tools that God uses for His glory, but we are the people whom God has made us to be; our identity is in Him.