Strong faith can overcome many obstacles

My teenage and high school years were spent in Gainesville, Fla., where my dad worked as an electrical engineer for General Electric. My dad and siblings still live in the Gainesville area.

You may recognize Gainesville as the location of the University of Florida. My family and I moved to Alaska from Florida more than 20 years ago, but I have continued to follow the sports teams of the University of Florida while living in Alaska. My children have followed my lead in cheering for Florida teams. So it is no surprise that we have watched with interest the struggles and accomplishments of former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

You may recognize that name. Tim Tebow is the former Heisman Trophy-winning college quarterback from the University of Florida who has struggled at times in playing in the National Football League. But he has not struggled in boldly sharing his faith in our Lord Jesus. Perhaps because of Tebow’s bold witness and his unorthodox play on the football field he has become a hero to some, a controversial and polarizing figure to others.

I saw this furor firsthand when my son, Tim, used the word “miracle” in a post about Tebow on his Facebook page. In about one hour he had almost 60 responses, many incensed at any mention of God in a public forum. The angry response surprised me — somewhat.

It is good for Christians to remember what Jesus himself says about witness: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

The best witness to God is not so much bold words, but a life changed by God’s love. The kind of life that brings a good witness and praise to God is a life of personal integrity and obedience, a life of self-giving for the good of others.

Unfortunately, even Christians fail to live in ways that always love others and honor God. Thankfully, Jesus is not just an example of a holy life, he is our savior who died for our sins and rose again to win victory over our sin and to win victory over death. The kind of life that brings a good witness and praise to God is a life of faith that trusts God even when we fail. In other words, holy actions point to God’s power in our lives. But, when a Christian in weakness fails God and sins, confessing that sin and turning back to God in repentance also bares witness to God’s love and forgiveness. Confessing our sins and letting God change our lives points to God’s power in Jesus to change us.

In Alaska, this time of year is a time of deep darkness. We begin to long for the darkness to end and we long for light to return. Our world is a better place when the light of God’s righteousness and forgiving love shines through his people into a dark world of sin. Our world is a better place when we don’t just speak about Christian faith, but when we let the love of God shine through our lives with actions of love, or self-sacrifice and actions of obedience and faithfulness to God.

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer.

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