In my post on Denver Bronco's quarterback Tim Tebow I mentioned that if he is true to God, God will bless him. I then made a light hearted reference to a Super Bowl ring as a possible manifestation of such a blessing from above. Just to make it clear what I meant; if a successful football career, of which a championship could be a part, is a blessing God has prepared for Mr. Tebow in this life, it will be for some other purpose than to increase the value of his autograph, bobblehead or other collectibles. It will be to allow him to use his fame and notariety to do good in the future.
Celebrities are sometimes criticized for their political activism, and often the criticism is not undeserved. But this doesn't mean that they aren't on to something. Fame is passing, and many actors and popular singers, if they've done any self analysis at all, know that there is a certain unreality to their lives. Part of why the Beatles broke up is that John Lennon and, in particular, George Harrison realized that all the money, fame and pleasure that came with success didn't make them happy or fulfilled as human beings. They realized that there had to be something more. I'm not sure if either man every really figured out what that something was, but I can think of one who certainly did.
Danny Thomas was a highly popular comedian and TV star in the 1950's. I would guess many people today under 40 years old haven't heard of him, and even fewer of his popular sitcom "Make Room for Daddy" that ran between 1953 and 1964 on ABC and later on CBS. But most people of any age probably have heard of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. When Thomas was at the start of his career and struggling to support his family he turned to St. Jude, the patron of lost causes, promising to build him a shrine if the Saint would show him the way he should go in life. His career took off from there and he would fulfill his promise by building what would become a world famous children's hospital. Danny Thomas died 20 years ago, but the institution he founded continues to serve children with cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. He understood that fame and fortune were only a means to and end, not the purpose of life itself. As he said, "All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don't discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others."
The shelf life of a professional athlete is even shorter than that of an entertainer. If Tim Tebow is blessed with a successful football career it won't be give him glory, but so that he can go on and glorify God with his life.
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