By Mallory Mattingly
Gold medal Olympian and Hall of Fame boxer Andre Ward talked with Sports Spectrum’s Matt Forte about the power of Jesus Christ.
“If you ask me, how did I do what I did today? Or how am I able to, you know, have a family and do all these things, I give God glory, you know,” Ward said on a new episode of the “Sports Spectrum” podcast. “So I kind of like personally — though I recognize people’s apprehension at times with sharing the gospel or sharing my testimony — I brushed off the shame, because there’s nothing wrong with what I’m doing.”
“It’s just it rubs people the wrong way sometimes, and not even just talking about God, talking about Jesus,” Ward added. “You can say God, you can say higher power, you can say the Almighty. You can say all that. But when you specify Jesus Christ, you see that there’s truly power in that name.”
Anytime Ward is allowed to talk about his testimony, he takes full advantage of it, sharing how Jesus and “Boxing saved my life.”
“It’s hard to imagine life without it, and I often ask God, ‘Man, why would you have me in a sport like that?'” he said on an episode of the “Jesus Calling” podcast. “There’s a lot of beauty in it, but there’s some things that aren’t so nice about it. It’s a very physical sport. It can be a violent sport at times. People want blood, and it’s just amazing to me that God will take people and put them in these different spheres and use them even in spite of where they are, and what the atmosphere is calling for.”
One of the questions that the athelete was often asked was how he could be a Christian and pursue a career in boxing.
“God has many names, and one thing that He is is a warrior,” Ward explained. “And it’s been my prayer that I never get hurt in a boxing ring. But I’ve never wanted to hurt anybody in a way that would be lasting, that would take them away from their family. That was always my prayer, and I believe God was faithful with that. I think you can be a warrior and still represent God.”
Ward also uses his social media as an avenue to talk about his faith in God.
In one post, Ward shared a photo of himself in the pulpit.
Related: Boxing Hall of Famer Andre Ward: ‘My Faith, Trust, Hope is in Jesus Christ’
“WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE,” the boxing Hall of Famer wrote in the caption.
Ward knows there is power in the name of Jesus Christ because he has experienced it firsthand. Through his upbringing and boxing career, Ward has kept his faith in God and continued to give Him the glory.
Read Next: How Faith Transformed Former Boxing Champion Andre Ward’s Life
- Content: +2Share:
- Content: +1