Wired and Willing To Walk

Jesus emphasized the importance of self-sacrifice in our Christian walk - we can do good works, but if our heart is not right, we are not completely fulfilling His plan for our lives; that's the point of a passage in Matthew 19:
17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."
18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,'
19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "
20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"
21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

There are many who are rich in this world, but riches in and of themselves are not evil - it's the love of money, according to 1st Timothy 6, that is the root of all evil. The issue is stewardship - what are we doing with the resources that God has given to us?  That would include not only the gift of time and abilities, but also the material possessions that the Lord would direct us to devote to Him. Where there is a need, we can recognize it and determine if perhaps He is leading us to become involved.

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It's a familiar passage but one we should revisit on a consistent basis. Jesus shares the parables of the sheep and the goats - to the sheep, the favored ones, on his right hand, the King says:
34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

Well, the Denver Broncos, the team on which John Elway became a star and later a general manager, drafted a quarterback in the first round.  Actually, I'm not talking about Bo Nix, who was drafted last night and will be playing in the Mile High City; no, I'm referring to the pick in the 2010 draft.

That would be Tim Tebow.  Tebow exemplifies what it means to be an encourager. Someone who is devoted to Christ, lives an exemplary life, and is very well aware of his cultural platform.  A recent Movieguide article states:

Tim Tebow encouraged his fans on social media to make a positive impact on the community around them.

“Never underestimate your influence. No platform or place is too small to inspire change – it’s the passion and purpose behind it that matters,” Tebow wrote. “Whatever position you’re in right now, take hold of the opportunities before you and make them count!”

The article goes on to quote from the former Heisman Trophy winner, now co-host on the SEC Network:

“I think one of the biggest ways to get out of a slump, out of a pity party, is to get out of your comfort zone and help someone else,” Tebow said. “When you go serve, it changes so much in such a way that it’s almost hard to even put into words. So much of what we do in our lives is about us. And when we finally change the focus and the narrative of not putting us first, but actually serving, there’s something that drastically changes.”

Tebow has committed to this lifestyle for many years, equipping him to run a non-profit that makes an incredible impact on multiple communities. His most recent project has been fighting human trafficking in America and around the world.

Another Movieguide article noted that Tebow...

...appeared before a House subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, urging lawmakers to fund a rescue team to rescue the thousands of children currently trapped in a sexual abuse situation.

“I’m fortunate and humbled to be the chairman and the founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation, and we exist to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need,” Tebow began his remarks. “To sum it up, we strive to fight for people that can’t fight for themselves. Why we’re here today is to talk about the MVP…the most vulnerable people. That’s why we’re here today.”

He told the committee that, according to one of his colleagues, there have been some 20,000 sexually abused children whose "images and videos have been captured" who cannot even be identified!  The Foundation has been involved in Operation Renewed Hope, which set out to ID and rescue victims of child sexual abuse. 

That is just one of the initiatives of the Foundation.  Tim and his wife, Demi-Leigh, have been deeply involved in encouraging young adults with special needs through the "Night to Shine" events on Valentine's Day weekend, which has had involvement from hundreds of churches worldwide. 

Tim uses the acronym, MVP, which stands for "Most Vulnerable People.  Jesus used a term for people in difficult circumstances - "the least of these," according to Matthew 25, and likened helping the down and out to helping our Savior Himself. 

Tebow talked about a platform on social media recently. We can consider how God has placed or might be placing us in order to have an impact on others.  Our old nature was characterized by selfishness - our new nature is characterized by a capacity and calling to serve.  By virtue of our new birth, we are now wired to serve other people - the question becomes whether or not we are willing to do so, to be obedient to our Lord.  Recognizing that we are wired to love others as Christ has loved us and developing a willingness to do whatever the Holy Spirit directs us to do, we can walk in His ways.

So, in whatever stage of life, whatever occupation, in whatever we're involved, we can be devoted to walking in obedience to the Lord, sensitive to His direction and dependent on Him to manifest His love through us.