Why Vikings QB Kirk Cousins Follows Jesus ‘Even When It Costs Me’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins explored his journey to faith and what it means to truly follow Jesus in an interview with Lakeland Community Church.
Cousins grew up in a Christian household, and his father was a pastor. He heard the gospel at the age of seven and gave his life to Christ.
But a high school Bible teacher helped him understand what it means to live for Jesus.
His teacher explained that “there’s a difference between being a fan of Jesus and being a follower of Jesus,” Cousins recalled. “And then to be a disciple – a follower – is to be fully devoted. And to be fully devoted means that you’re putting in work, that you’re wanting to grow, that you’re making sacrifices, and that when culture goes one way and Jesus goes the other, you got to go with Jesus. Even if that costs you something.”
The quarterback continued, “And we were challenged to ask ourselves, ‘Are you prepared to follow Jesus even when it costs you something?’ Even when all your friends in high school or college on a Friday night are gonna go do one thing, you know that to follow Jesus you got to go another way. Are you gonna do that? Or are you gonna go with your friends?”
“And I made that decision at about 16 or 17 years old. I said, ‘You know what, I think I’m going to follow Jesus even when it costs me something.’ And that’s when you’re truly giving Him your life because you’re really now sacrificing something to follow Jesus,” he said.
Cousins sees his football career as one way he follows Jesus.
“I’ve always felt that God in his providence organized events to make me a professional quarterback because he knew it would be a career that would keep me close to him and teach me more about him,” he said on the Sports Spectrum podcast.
The quarterback takes his faith into the locker room, too. He previously shared that he listens to worship music before games.
“That’s really what I listen to in the locker room before games, on the bus, is that type of worship music where you can kind of focus your perspective on an eternal perspective and on who God is and His love for you and the trust you’re placing in Him,” he said. “That’s kind of where I want to be mentally and in my heart going into a game. And so I know nothing else I’d rather listen to than worship music in that moment.”
He’s also open about his faith with his teammates.
“I think it’s also important to find community with other believers,” Cousins added. “So in a football locker room, identifying who are the guys that want to do the same and how can we engage together in a Bible study, in a prayer time, and as the Bible says in Proverbs 27, how can we sharpen each other as iron sharpens iron.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Cousins:
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is trusting God with his career after sustaining a season-ending Achilles tendon tear on Oct. 29.
In a press conference, Cousins said, “I so appreciate all the well wishes I’ve received from people. You don’t quite know how many people are in your corner and how many people are praying for you and cheering you on until something like this happens.”
“I’m excited to write the next chapter and see what God wants to do with it, whatever it may be,” he added. “I’ve just kind of been reminded again that my career, it’s not my career. It’s His career that I steward, and I’ve just gotta surrender myself and let Him lead where He wants to go. And when that’s a torn Achilles, I have to accept it just as much as if it’s a win on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL.”
He continued, “… I’m learning to play this sport holding my hands open and say, ‘You know God, whatever You want to do — if that means a torn Achilles — I’ve got to accept that,’”
Cousins admitted that, during his prayer times, he’s sometimes been tempted to question God’s perfect plan.
“… Ultimately, I’ll look back and say, ‘God allowed that to happen, and I am where I am someday because of [the injury], not in spite of [it],’” he explained.
