By Mallory Mattingly
New York Jets cornerback Azareye’h Thomas shared a hard truth on social media: “sometimes God is most glorified in us when we suffer.”
“Sometimes we hear the gospel presented that GOD has wonderful plans for our lives…Which is true, but GOD had a wonderful plan for Stephen’s life — the wonderful plan GOD had for Stephen’s life was to be stoned (Acts 7),” he wrote on Instagram. “GOD had a wonderful plan for Peter‘s life — the wonderful plan that GOD had for Peter‘s life was to be crucified upside down (John 21). GOD had a wonderful plan for the apostle Paul’s life — the wonderful plan GOD had for Paul’s life was to be stoned, imprisoned, beaten, and ultimately beheaded.”
Thomas went on to explain that just because your story looks different from someone else’s doesn’t mean God won’t use it for good.
“Moral of the story: When we were younger, what GOD deemed wonderful did not always seem so wonderful to us,” the cornerback wrote. “We didn’t get why we struggled. But what we didn’t realize is sometimes GOD is most glorified in us when we suffer, and yet through the suffering, through the trials, we remain faithful to Christ and what He’s called us to do. We ain’t have it ALL, but we had ALL we needed and the rest is history…”
Related: Why New York Jets Chaplain Wants You to ‘Go All in With the Lord’
Two weeks ago, Thomas got to share a special moment on field with his brother Juanyeh, who plays for the Dallas Cowboys.
“The brothers appear to be wearing matching shirts with both of their photos on the front and ‘Thomas’ on the back,” Cowboys reporter Joseph Hoyt reported.
Hoyt later reported that the odds of making it into the NFL are 0.8%. But the odds of two brothers doing it are even slimmer.
Very cool. Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas and Jets CB Azarey’eh Thomas say hello before they play against each other today.
The brothers appear to be wearing matching shirts with both of their photos on the front and “Thomas” on the back. https://t.co/kqNlq00r9s pic.twitter.com/xSX53D3VQn
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) October 5, 2025
Juanyeh shared about his faith on his social media after the Cowboys’ game against the Packers.
“God’s greatness is beyond measure, for He created the heavens, the earth, and every breath we take with His mighty hand. His love never fails, carrying us through trials and blessing us with mercy we do not deserve. When we lift our eyes to Him, we see that all power, glory, and goodness flow only from our great God,” the Cowboys safety wrote.
It’s incredible to see two brothers use their NFL platform to glorify God, and Azareye’h’s reminder can encourage us that even amid suffering, God is close.
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