By Gavin Boyle
Seventh generation wire walker Nik Wallenda explained how he relies on the Lord to overcome his fears, whether it be while performing his stunts or facing problems in everyday life.
“Well, the Word promises a peace that passes all understanding. People ask me all the time, ‘How do you stay peaceful in a stressful situation?’ Well, I cast my cares to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Wallenda told Kirk Cameron. “And that is how I’m able to get through and get across from one side to the other.”
Related: Nik Wallenda Praises Jesus As He Walks High Wire Across Active Volcano
Wallenda has performed dozens of death-defying feats including walking a tightrope across Niagara Falls, across the Grand Canyon, between two skyscrapers in Chicago and walking across an active volcano in Nicaragua. Many of these stunts have been performed for TV, and he wears a microphone, through which viewers can hear him reciting scripture to himself to calm his mind.
“I believe that God has given me this talent, and I use it to bring glory to His name…I train properly for the talents and the gifts that He’s given me so that I’m ready to face any challenge. Where my faith comes into play is that I know where I’m going to go whether I were to die in an airplane crash, in a car crash, or of natural causes or in a wire accident,” Wallenda said. “And I have the confidence of knowing where I’m going when I die.”
Because he is bold about his faith, Wallenda has received countless testimonies from fans after he performs stunts where they get to hear him rely on the Lord for strength. This places the tightrope walker in the same category as many other Christians who are professional athletes and have used their platform to share their faith.
Recently, many professional athletes have made it clear that their identity is in their faith, rather than their sport, their fame or their money. This has gotten many young people interested in faith as they understand how a relationship with the Lord, not only helps them in their sport — like giving them peace — but also allows them to weather the highs and lows as they anchor themselves in the unchanging Lord.
NFL quarterback Brock Purdy, for example was the final pick of the draft in 2022. But rather than allow that to get him down, because he was steady in the Lord, he capitalized on the opportunity and persevered, eventually proving himself as a true NFL-caliber quarterback after multiple injuries allowed him to hit the field.
“[Purdy] is pretty steady. You don’t see much different each day. He’s a very faith-based person. I think that gives him his foundation as much as anyone I’ve been around,” said Purdy’s coach Kyle Shanahan. “He’s taken this whole offseason as good as you can…He handles the pressure well and really doesn’t change. I think that’s why the guys love him, and I think that’s why he’ll continue to get better.”
Praise the Lord for the way He is reaching the younger generation and America as a whole through professional athletes who use their platforms to glorify His name.
Read Next: His ‘Trust in Christ’ Gives This NBA Star Courage Under Pressure
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