By Gavin Boyle
Atlanta Falcons running back Nate Carter shared how Christians are able to engage with joy even when they are facing difficult situations in their lives.
“Joy is not just an emotion; it’s a gift rooted in our relationship with God and an invitation to experience Him. Through His presence, we can find joy in all circumstances, trusting in the One who embodies Joy. Jesus came into this broken world to offer us comfort and joy in fellowship with Him, even in hardships,” Carter wrote.
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“Regardless of our circumstances, we can choose joy because Christ chose us,” he added. “This doesn’t mean we neglect the pain and suffering that we face; it means that joy can coexist with those things when we recognize that our sovereign Lord is with us and that His perfect purpose for us will endure… Achieving joy is easier said than done, which is why it’s considered one of the fruits of the Spirit. We cannot create it on our own; it is the Holy Spirit who cultivates a lasting joy within us, rooted in the beauty and greatness of Christ.”
We see the power of joy throughout the Bible, from David finding joy throughout the many trials in his life. To Daniel finding joy while he was being persecuted and his nation was in exile. Furthermore, Paul was the epitome of joy during suffering as he spent many of his days imprisoned and oppressed, but spoke to the joy he found through the Holy Spirit.
As for Carter, the running back has long used his platform to share the Gospel and help bring his fans closer to the Lord. Earlier this month, for example, Carter shared how even though he was a strong Christian throughout college, when it came to his career in the NFL, for a while he placed his identity in football, rather than rooting himself in the Lord.
“My hope was misplaced, driven by my own desires and centered on my goals,” Carter said when recalling how he responded on draft night when his name was not picked. “A lot of us live this way. We base our hope on our desires: ‘I hope I get married.’ ‘I hope I get this job.’ ‘I hope I get healed.’ These aren’t bad desires, but this kind of worldly hope is filled with doubt, uncertainty, and selfishness. We hope in things fueled by our own timing and the way we want our desires to be fulfilled. This type of hope will always disappoint and fail us.”
It is amazing to see the running back use his platform to spread the word of the Lord and inspire his fans to make their faith the most important part of their lives. Praise the Lord for Carter’s faith, and may he continue to impact thousands of lives every time he posts.
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