Tim Tebow challenges Americans to put others first all year long to lead a ‘significant’ life
New devotional is out from athlete, husband and committed Christian — he values success but values 'significance' more
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tim Tebow may be known mostly across America for his outstanding abilities on the gridiron and in other athletic and sports-related venues.
He is a two-time national football champion as well as a Heisman Trophy winner and a first-round NFL draft pick. He's also a former professional baseball player and college football analyst with ESPN and the SEC Network.
But Tebow is also the leader of the Tim Tebow Foundation, based in Jacksonville, Florida. He's been devoting his life over a number of years to faith-based, charitable and philanthropic endeavors.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TIM TEBOW'S FAITH-FILLED FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING: ‘CALLED’ TO DO THIS
Now, Tebow — also a bestselling author — has come out with a one-year devotional for adults, plus a second book for children. The new book is called "Mission Possible One-Year Devotional: 365 Days of Inspiration for Pursuing Your God-Given Purpose," and he shared thoughts about it in an interview on "Fox & Friends" this week.
"One is a little bit more appropriate for children," he said. "We wanted to be able to have something for everybody … Life can be hard and discouraging. And that's why we wrote the one-year devotional, to encourage people for 365 days."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tim Tebow — one of the most successful football players ever — today focuses on helping others in need all over the world. He's spoken often about bringing "faith, hope and love" to other people. (AP/Tim Tebow Foundation)
"Come on," he also said. "We're getting ready for a new year — do it with me."
The book starts, he said, "with God's word. And then there's practical advice."
Thirty of the daily devotionals, he said, "are written by heroes of mine — some of them parents who have lost children, [or] some [with] kids battling life-threatening illnesses."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TIM TEBOW, MAN ON A MISSION: 'EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US CAN HAVE A LIFE THAT COUNTS'
He said, "One of them is from a survivor of human trafficking who just wanted to encourage people … Life can get hard and discouraging and frustrating. And so every day, if we could start our day first in God's word, and then [with] other people to encourage us, to challenge us" to do good things in life — that's his recommendation.
Why not, said Tebow, "start our day with the source of life, and then [go to] some practical thoughts to challenge us."
"I believe we're meant for fellowship in relationships," he also said, "so we can have that encouragement to start every day. Then we have a much better chance of living a mission-possible life."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tebow noted that when most people wake up and start their day, "there are so many things that are challenging us for our attention and they're saying, ‘Hey, make this the most important thing of your day. Make this the most important.’ That's why Mondays are so hectic. Great — because we've got all these things to get done in the week."
Yet why not, he said, "start our day with the source of life, and then [go to] some practical thoughts to challenge us, to maybe get uncomfortable … to maybe choose to put other people first instead of ourselves."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tim Tebow's newest book is "Mission Possible One-Year Devotional: 365 Days of Inspiration for Pursuing Your God-Given Purpose" (Waterbrook Press). He's published two different versions — one for adults and one for children. (TTF)
Instead of a "me-first" mentality, he said he's "really challenging people to put other people first. Because if you want to live a mission-possible life, it starts by having a relationship with God and then investing in other people, by choosing other people first over yourself."
Tebow said, "I believe that one of the greatest tragedies would be to reach the end of one's life and look back and say, ‘I was successful in all the things that did not matter.’"
He said that yes, he wants people to be successful.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don't want to lose. I've never woken up [in the morning] and said, 'Hey, today's a good day to lose.' But if I were to choose another word, I would choose significance."
"But more than anything, I want you to be significant. And really, I wrote that because I think it's so easy for all of us to choose success and to chase [it]. It's easy. And that's not necessarily a bad thing."
He added, "I want to be successful. I don't want to lose. I've never woken up [in the morning] and said, 'Hey, today's a good day to lose.' But if I were to choose another word, I would choose significance — because success is about us, but significance is about other people."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tebow noted that he's grateful for all the sports success he's had in his life.
"The Heisman Trophy is an awesome, humbling, amazing honor. It's an award that's an individual award, but it's really a team award for what our whole team did that year. And that's an amazing honor."
Tebow said he's "grateful" to have had the "opportunity" to achieve great success in his sports career. Today, he's focused on helping others who need assistance of all kinds. (Mission Driven Studios)
He added, "But if all I did was just win a trophy and I never did anything with a platform, then I probably missed the mark. Right?"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He said he's "go grateful" to have had the "opportunity to win that."
And he noted this: "I just auctioned it off again for a year last Tuesday — and it went for $150,000 to help kids that are battling cancer."
Tebow and his team shared two exclusive excerpts from the new book with Fox News Digital. Here they are.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}‘Bring Out the Best in Others’ by Tim Tebow
Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. — 1 Corinthians 11:1, NLT
We develop our character over time, usually through the process of making wise choices when no one is looking.
A sign of godly character is when your public face matches your private face.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Do you know what I love about how humanity is designed? In everything we do, we have a chance to influence.
In fact, one of the greatest things we can do in life is influence other people for the better.
Like Paul, who wrote the above verse, I want to bring out the best in others, from those who are closest to me to those I meet for the first time.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}I want people’s lives to be better because they know me.
I believe that every time we meet someone, it very rarely ends in neutral. Their experience of us is either positive or negative.
Think about the people you encounter in your own life. Reflect on some of the most encouraging or inspiring connections you have made, whether they’ve lasted a few days or a few years.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}What was it that the person said or did that sparked growth, made you aware of a bad habit you’ve been trying to conceal, or gave you the leverage you needed to persevere in your faith?
What we say and what we do is attached to purpose and value. Just as we follow in the footsteps of Christ, may we live in such a way that we can brighten another person’s darkest day.
Tell someone they have made a difference in your life.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Aim for Significance by Tim Tebow
What good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? — Matthew 16:26
I believe that one of the greatest tragedies would be to reach the end of one’s life and look back and say, "I was successful in things that did not matter."
I want you to be successful, but more than anything, I want you to be significant.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And when you live for Jesus and you love people, you’re going to have a life of eternal significance, no matter how insignificant your life looks on the outside.
"To be truly successful, aim for significance."
I like to think of success in material ways, but significance is harder for us to grasp. Success is focused on self — for example, becoming an entrepreneur, reaching certain milestones, or just excelling in one’s occupation.
Significance has an outward reach; when we strive for eternal significance, we become compelled to share and give back.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}When we succeed, we influence our own lives; when we are significant, we influence others.
Tim Tebow's newest book is "Mission-Possible One-Year Devotional," two excerpts from which are shared in this artricle. (Waterbrook Press)
To transcend from individual success to lasting significance, you must find a need and use your gifts to meet it.
What have you been given? Are you using your gifts to influence what really matters?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}To be truly successful, aim for significance.
Excerpted from "Mission Possible One-Year Devotional" by Tim Tebow. Copyright © 2022 by Tim Tebow. Published by WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tim Tebow's latest book is "Mission Possible One-Year Devotional." Tim and his wife, Demi-Leigh Tebow (Miss Universe 2017), live in Jacksonville, Florida, with their three dogs. For more information, visit TimTebow.com and @TimTebow.