Influence is that personal power, moral persuasion or spiritual force that has an effect on another person.
Tim Tebow has influence. In 2012, he made Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. While playing football, he has worn eye-black strips printed with Scripture references and often takes a knee in a gesture of prayer during a game. He has made strong and clear public expressions of his faith in Jesus Christ.
Does it make any difference? According to a Barna Group survey released in February, it may not make as much difference as we think.
The Barna report revealed that “most Americans believe when an athlete talks about his or her faith publicly, it does not make much of a difference for those who hear those comments.”
However, about 32 percent said those public displays of faith by athletes do influence the hearers to be more spiritually minded. The 32 percent was composed of women, Southern residents, evangelicals and church attenders.
In other words, those of us who already believe like to see these public expressions of faith. The actual influence on unbelievers may not be nearly as great as we hope.
Tebow’s mom, Pam, has stressed the importance of using our influence to share the gospel. Her son does that. However, his greatest influence publicly may be his stance on moral issues. During her pregnancy with Tim, Pam risked her life to give birth to her son. In her mind, abortion was not an option. A 2010 Super Bowl ad featured Tebow and his mother sharing a pro-life message. According to Barna, the ad resulted in 5.5 million people “having cause to rethink their stand on abortion.”
Tebow is more recognized for his Christian faith than any other professional athlete: 83 percent of Americans are aware of him, and 73 percent feel favorably about his public discussion of faith. What the survey reveals is that most Americans, especially Christians, have a high regard for an authentic role model who connects faith and life.
Does Tebow have influence? Absolutely. In fact, many people believe he has more influence on society than pastors. The Barna survey reported that “overall, about two-thirds (64 percent) of Americans say they think pro athletes have more influence in American society today than do professional faith leaders (19 percent).”
Do Tebow’s public expressions of faith connect lost people to the gospel? We don’t really know. The survey only records what people thought. It seems it would be impossible to measure that in any kind of objective way.
Tebow’s decision last week to cancel a speaking engagement at First Baptist Church in Dallas has disheartened those who believe he did so under the pressure of political correctness. Other evangelical leaders, however, believe Tebow has earned the benefit of the doubt.
In pulling out of his appearance, Tebow took to Twitter to explain himself: “While I was looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ’s unconditional love – due to new information that has been brought to my attention, I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance. I will continue to use the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope and Love to all those needing a brighter day.”
While Tebow’s decision is disappointing, it doesn’t change the fact that he has influence, and influence can be used for good or bad. May he continue to use his platform to share the good news of Christ with all who are watching and listening.