New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson thought he was a “tough soldier” until he found Jesus Christ.
“I’ve heard the saying that ‘God gives his toughest battles to his toughest soldiers.’ But when I see the disciples that Jesus chose and suffered for His name’s sake, I don’t see Him choosing the ‘toughest soldiers,'” Henderson wrote in a post on Instagram. “As I learn about men and women in the past and even today who have laid down their lives for Jesus, once again I don’t see God choosing His ‘toughest soldiers.’ But I see a strong and mighty God choosing weak men and women and empowering them by His Holy Spirit to face some of the toughest battles and be used for His glory.”
The athlete thought he was a “tough soldier,” but as he began to learn more about God’s heart and character, he understood that’s not the identity he carries.
“I then realized that I’m so weak without Him, and apart from Jesus I can’t do anything,” Henderson admitted. “I need Jesus daily. The only way that I can truly become who God wants me to be and truly do what God wants me to do is not by my power, not by my might, but only by the Spirit of the Living God. Thank you, Jesus.”
Related: Patriots RB Encourages Believers to Remain Obedient to God Amid Suffering
In the running back’s previous post from June, he reflected on something similar something similar.
“Walking with Jesus doesn’t guarantee an easier life; it doesn’t guarantee that things would always go our way. Sometimes God may send us into a storm, sometimes He may lead us into a valley. But it’s in those moments where we learn to trust Him, and we learn to surrender, which isn’t easy,” Henderson shared.
“It’s in those moments where we can see how weak we are without Jesus and how much we need Him,” he continued. “God doesn’t abandon us in the storm or valley, and He’s not working against us. He’s with us in every moment, and He’s for us. In those moments, sometimes it’s hard to see what He’s doing, but we have to walk by faith, and we have to hold on to His promises.”
“The storms and the valleys that He takes us through at times are not meant to destroy us, but to draw us closer to Him and to build us up into the man and the woman He’s calling us to be. Don’t let go; keep holding on!” the running back emphasized.
Henderson concluded the post with 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
As Henderson prepares to enter into his second NFL season, he can be confident because he doesn’t have to be the “tough soldier”; he can trust that the Lord is with him.
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