By Mallory Mattingly
New England Patriots team chaplain James Mitchell loves watching his players spotlight their faith on the field because he knows they’re listening to the Holy Spirit.
“They’re listening to the Spirit to tell them what they do,” Mitchell told Sports Spectrum’s Jason Romano when asked what it means to see his guys be open about their faith. “And for some of them, they may not be intentional with it, though, your Holy Spirit will alert you when you need to say something and when you don’t, you know.”
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“And the guys have an unbelievable platform. You’re gonna be on the biggest stage, especially like where we’re going now, and so people are gonna be listening,” the chaplain continued.
Related: Tight End Praises God After Career-Best Performance in Patriots’ Comeback Win
The Patriots will face off against the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday, Feb. 8, at Super Bowl LX.
Mitchell encourages the athletes to use this God-given opportunity to point fans to Jesus.
“So we talk about, okay, taking advantage of opportunity. No different in football; take advantage of opportunity. You’ll know in your spirit when you’re supposed to speak something or say something,” he said. “I mean, you know your spirit, so the teaching is that everybody learn what their spirit sounds like to them. Because those who don’t like to talk too much, it’ll have to be intentional.”
“So are you going to respond to your spirit or not by being obedient? Right? I’m glad all the speaking and stuff and opportunity, but man, learning to listen to your spirit….’Okay, I need to say something now,’ you know, and the growth of maturity shows how people are firm in their faith. That’s what’s fun to watch,” Mitchell added.
Patriots players like TreVeyon Henderson and Hunter Henry often speak about their faith.
“I’m thankful that God’s love for me doesn’t depend on my performance. That my value is found in who I am to Him, not in what I do,” Henderson wrote on Instagram in November.
He then quoted Ephesians 1:4-7, which reads, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”
In one of Henry’s post-game press conferences, he told the media, “I put a lot of work in. I’ve been incredibly blessed in this profession to be where I am. God has extraordinarily blessed me — I couldn’t do it without Him. To be here, with this team, I take a lot of pride in it. It’s been a fun ride, and I’m excited for the journey ahead.”
Mitchell loves being able to see his players give honor and praise to God, whether on the field or on camera.
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