Saints WR Juwan Johnson Puts ‘Salvation Over Circumstances’
By Movieguide® Contributor
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Juwan Johnson sat down with Sports Spectrum to discuss a Bible verse that gave him a new perspective on life.
“It’s a good one. I just heard it, and it resonated with me so well,” Johnson told Jason Romano on the “Sports Spectrum Podcast.” “And it’s to look at God’s face instead of looking at His hand. And we’re always looking and asking for God for something. ‘Oh, like, you’re not doing this for me, not doing that for me. Man, I wish you could take this off my plate.'”
He continued, “When Jesus said, ‘Oh, can you pass this cup up from me, but God, your will be done.’ And it’s more so looking at His face, seeking His face, knowing that despite what I – I even switched my Instagram bio to ‘It’s salvation over circumstances.’ And the blood that He shed on the cross, it’s way more important than my circumstances right now.”
Johnson went undrafted after college and later signed with the Saints in 2020.
In 2022, the wide receiver had a standout year and earned “42 receptions for 508 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2023, he had 37 receptions and four touchdowns.”
Johnson is also an advocate for mental health.
In a video shared on the Child Mind Institute social media page, he discussed how “praying and talking to a parent or a friend help him overcome his personal mental health struggles. His reminder: even successful athletes struggle with mental health and you are not alone!”
“What I do to stay mentally fit is that I pray. One of the biggest things for me is my faith,” he said in the video. “And the one thing I do that I have to go through life, go through struggles, trials, tribulations. I know I don’t have to carry all these things alone. What He does for me is that He puts my baggage on wheels and that I’m able to carry my problems, whatever I do, because we all go through problems, is that He’ll help me with that.”
While training for the upcoming season has yet to begin, Johnson is unfortunately out “indefinitely” due to a foot injury.
“The fourth-year veteran is scheduled to undergo surgery next week, per ESPN, and hopes to return before the start of the 2024 season,” CBS reported.
Movieguide® previously reported on the faith that drives Saints quarterback Derek Carr:
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr explained how he lets his faith direct his life.
“Trying to love everybody the way Christ teaches us to love. And I’m not going to back down from it,” the four-time Pro Bowler said in a video from Christhlete. “If culture is trying to put all the pressure on, and I’m the only one standing there, well, I’m going to stand in that gap.”
Carr referenced Ezekiel 22:30, which explains what it means to “stand in the gap…”
“I prayed this one day, and I was like, ‘Lord, if there is any gap you need me to stand in, I’ll stand in it.’ I want to be the one that stands there. I want to be the one that you see standing there praying for the church, praying for the pastors, taking the arrows so they don’t feel anything,” Carr explained. “Taking the bullets so my kids don’t have to feel it. You know, I want to be in that gap. I want to fill that void.”
