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Opinion | Should Tebow be a role model for true faith, despite varying beliefs?

Jessica Sink, Columnist

For many people, especially in today's society, daily stress and anxiety have become the norm. Whether it is a list of new duties from an employer, an unexpected bill or an approaching deadline for a project, the challenges of each day can sometimes seem overwhelming. This stress can have a major influence on a person's health, emotional state, general well-being and happiness.

With the knowledge of the consequences of anxiety, many Americans are seeking stress-reduction techniques such as jogging, yoga or meditation. These strategies have seemed to help. A January article in USA Today reported that the USA's average stress level in 2011 was 5.2 on a 10-point scale, which is down from 6.2 in 2007, according to the American Psychological Association. The explanation? Psychology experts claim people have adapted to stress and have learned better ways to manage life's many struggles.

Although exercise and attitude can both have a major effect on the ability to cope with daily stressors, sometimes the challenges we face are much greater and harder to bear. The loss of loved ones, questions about the future or massive change can cause depression, fear and unhappiness. How can we deal with these dark, scary periods of life that we all occasionally face? How can we find the deep inner peace we need to keep going when sometimes the unknown is so scary?

Whether it is through religion, art or music, man has always sought an effective way to cope with and find answers to the seemingly insurmountable questions of life: Who am I? What am I here for? Where do I go from here? We look to those who appear to have it all together for the answers and seek guidance from advisors, mentors, parents, pastors and friends. But while this may all help, sometimes it is not enough to quell the anxieties of the heart.

Tim Tebow, the quarterback of the NFL's Denver Broncos, has captured the attention of both football and non-football fans alike with his religious faith on and off the field. He has become the focus of national fascination, criticism and controversy. While some might argue his football skills do not compare to other great NFL players, he has certainly had his share of media coverage. Why? Because he publicly bows his head to pray and displays his faith.

Termed "Tebowing," the quarterback openly demonstrates his faith by getting on one knee and praying before and after games. Not only does he seem committed to his beliefs, he appears strong in his ability to deal with criticism from those who work to bring him down.

Despite his critics, Tebow continues to do good work with charitable organizations and seems grounded in who he is as a person and football player. He appears to have peace and strength that enables him to always move forward.

There are certainly those who use religion as a shiny, superficial way to appear "deep," wearing crosses and other religious symbols around his or her necks only as fashion statements. There are those who act self-righteous, pushing religion, or disdain for it, on others. When it comes down to it though, true religion is that which is experienced in the heart alone.

I believe Tim Tebow is sincere in his efforts; he has given me no evidence to question his character. Many of his critics seem to be on the edge of their chairs, just waiting for him to mess up. But being a Christian does not mean a person won't ever make a mistake. Tim Tebow has never professed to be perfect; he's only professed to be saved.

Even for those who do not share Tebow's evangelical theory, it's hard not to admire his courage and strength. Perhaps, if it is possible to put aside the unfounded hate towards him, there is a lesson we can learn from his life.

There is no doubt we all pursue some sort of peace in our lives, whether religious or not, especially in times of doubt and frustration.

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Ultimately, no matter the challenge, tomorrow is another day, and the bad times will pass. We must get through those periods of darkness in order to appreciate the beauty of the light.

Regardless of who you are or your faith, seek to find your own inner peace. Looking for ways to reduce anxieties is natural and meditation and exercise can help. However, when the real struggles arise and we don't know how to go on, perhaps we should take a lesson from Tebow and take a knee.