By: Amy Haynes
As an alumnus of the University of Georgia, I was elated to have my team in the National Championships and was equally crushed when we lost (and even more devastated to realize 1980 was 37 years ago—I remember the Coke bottles and am pretty sure a few people I know still have a couple). We were SO CLOSE! But as I replayed Tua Tagovailoa’s first comments after winning and Jake Fromm’s words following the Rose Bowl victory, I realized something was happening that is way bigger than the National Championship Game. THERE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO LOVE CHRIST AND ARE NOT ASHAMED TO LIVE OUT THEIR FAITH.
So often, we hear statistics about how kids leave the church once they graduate from high school and we look around and see the state of our culture; and, if we aren’t careful, we can become cynical and pessimistic. While the statistics are probably true, and the culture is certainly not Christian, I am here to tell you that we have an amazing group of young people who love the Lord and who are willing to do hard things to live lives that tell His story. As a youth ministry worker, homeschool mom and classical education tutor, I work and live with some of these remarkable people every day. Celebrity culture, reality TV and virtual relationships have become iconic symbols of self-absorbed, lazy teens and twenty-somethings who are all dreaming about their 15 minutes of fame. But, as Tua Tagovailoa and Jake Fromm have shown us, there is a unique group of bold Christians who, when given a microphone and an audience of millions, do not hesitate to give the glory to God and point to something much bigger than the moment. These “true freshmen” (…if I had a nickel for every time the announcers said that…) did not hesitate to minimize the impact of their efforts and maximize the greatness of their God.
So, the most dramatic points I see in all of this are that: 1) God’s story is so much more important than any other story, and 2) those of us who love Christ and strive to live our lives for Him are not alone. I hate to admit it, but sometimes my self-centered ego cries out to God like Elijah did, and I can think that I’m totally outnumbered and incredibly isolated.
I’d like to encourage the Christ followers who are older—pray for our young people. Talk to them. Invest in them. Encourage them. Share the wisdom the Lord has blessed you with. To the Christ followers who are younger, do hard things. Be bold for the Lord. Use the platform He has given you to bring Him glory. For all of us, Tagovailoa’s Twitter bio is a perfect summary: “1 Corinthians 2:9 Him Before Me”. May each of us seek His glory above all.
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9
#NationalChampions #GoDawgs #RollTide #JakeFromm #TuaTagovailo