In this great article for The Atlantic, Boyce professor Owen Strachan talks a bit about how God directs our paths through both “primary” and “secondary” causation—and how it relates to Tim Tebow’s crazy season. While it may be what Owen is inferring, I would make this statement clearer: Regardless of how Tebow plays—or God’s intervention in his playing—God’s purpose is never for someone or some team’s worldly success, instead, they for His own glory.
Here’s a great section from the article:
Does he win because God miraculously propels him to victory? Is the “hand of God,” as footballer Diego Maradonna famously called it, directing his passes (or at least his fourth-quarter attempts)?
Yes and no. The Bible says that God oversees everything that happens in this world. He ordains what socks we put on in the morning, how burnt our toast is, what we think about in the day, and everything in between. All things happen “according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,” as the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 1:11. So does that include Tim Tebow and his playmaking? Yes, it surely does.
But, as you can see, this is saying less than you might initially think. I believe that God is overseeing all of Tebow’s passes, but he’s also overseeing the typing and reading of this paragraph. He’s overseeing the Denver Broncos, but he’s also overseeing the Boston Celtics (much as it may seem otherwise at present), the Museum of Modern Art, and the playtime of your nephew. He’s in control of all things. In this sense, which is called “secondary” causation (God’s oversight of all things), the Lord is directing Tebow’s life.
But is God directly intervening on the football field in the same way that, for example, he did to cause the virgin birth of Luke 2 (in what is called “primary causation”)? That I don’t know. It’s not clear to my human eyes how this all shakes out. I do know that the Lord is working everything out according to his wise and mysterious counsel which, try as we might, we cannot fully understand.
I can say from the Bible that God oversees the lives of his people, of those who trust the death of Christ for their life in heaven, with special concern. According to his Word, God is carrying out a mission of salvation (John 3:16; Rom. 10; Eph. 1). He has a special interest in directing the lives of his people so that in every endeavor, in myriad fields, they bring him glory. That’s why Paul said to Christians, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Life affords countless opportunities to simultaneously speak the gospel and live in a distinctly Christian way and thereby advance the kingdom further.
(via @ostrachan & The Atlantic)
I finally cleaned out the “unread” blogs on my google reader last night—the 1000+ icon had been haunting me for too long. After a while of reading, skimming, and unsubscribing from feeds that no longer pique my interest the number of unread posts was down to 0!
It only lasted for a few minutes, but I still feel like it was an accomplishment, and I wanted you to share in the spoils of my labor.
Amidst the 1000+ posts I went through (rather quickly mind you) these are the two things that caught my eye:
A great visual representation and reminder that “there is nothing new under the sun.” (Eccles. 1:9) and that logo design is really cool.
(via logodesignlove)
…and who doesn’t love a good Fett picture—let alone one in a suit!
(via DailyFett)
Regardless of how you feel about Tebow, you can’t deny that this is a sweet picture…especially if you’re a Wheaton College grad. Andy Studebaker (left) is one of the few D3 athletes, who, upon graduating, made it the professional sports world. It’s so exciting to see him reach out to other believers in the game and take a brief moment to “pray it up.”
(ht @JamesKinnard)
Nothing needs to be said here…just watch and enjoy
(ht @ChetMancini)
(via my mom’s iPad)
This would be my favorite:
I just legitimately laughed out loud at work.
(via @sportspickle)
(see more sports classics here)
Awesome.
I know I talk about natural revelation a lot, but seriously, how can you look at this and still tell me that Rom 1:20 isn’t true.
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 ESV)
(via @MattRatleph)
I, like Jimmy Kimmel, was amazed at the number kids who did nothing but cry. It made me want to post it with the hastag #firstworldproblems. That being said, it’s pretty funny, and if you can make it all the way through it’s worth it…the last kid’s response was the best.
“You sneaky mom!”
[ht Rebecca at work]
Any decent Star Wars fan has tried to recreate this moment for his/her friends. Perhaps it’s because we remember the epic moment from the first time we saw EMPIRE.
Often, however, it goes awry. Perhaps the person already knows what’s revealed, or perhaps the person watched the saga in chronological order. Regardless, it is a rare thing to witness the reaction we see here.
Success in this endeavor is the sign of a good father; the type I hope to be someday…
(thanks to @shaskabob)
