Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. believes God can use anyone for His glory, even those who are incarcerated.
“…just to be sitting here, God literally takes the least likely and uses them to spread His word,” the athlete told inmates at San Quentin Prison in a video by God Behind Bars, a Christian prison ministry that “exists to introduce inmates to Jesus and connect them to the local church.”
“And there’s been so many dark times in my life where I think about David. I’m like, ‘God, You put me here. I didn’t ask for any of this,’” Anderson Jr. continued.
“And you guys are such an inspiration to me, because I battle daily. I’m like ‘God, are you sure?’ But in His Word, God says we are His masterpieces. He said, I have created you in My image,” he encouraged. “This year, more than any year of my life, I have grown to know Jesus Christ for who He is, not for what the world says He is, not for what the church says He is, but for what His Word says He is.”
Though Anderson Jr. has titles like PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year (2023) and AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2023), as well as a Pro Bowl, none of those accolades compare to the joy of knowing Christ.
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“I feel so overwhelmed for joy this year because I said, ‘God, let our light shine so bright before others that when others see us, Lord, they glorify Your name.’ And to see how I’ve impacted, how I’ve been inspiration for the kingdom. That’s what I’m most proud about. God has truly been at work,” he shared.
“What God’s been doing back then, He’s still doing now. How God is still changing lives back then, He’s changing lives now. And to walk in here and to see all the lives that He’s changed, all the people that He’s touched, it’s just been so beautiful to see,” Anderson Jr. continued. “So I’m just so humble, man, as a 24-year-old to be shown on stage and to be in this room with a bunch of men who gave their lives to Christ, it gives me so much hope and so much inspiration to know that God is still working.”
Faith is at the core of all Anderson Jr. does.
“As long as you keep God first, as long as you keep searching for God, searching for that faith, and building the great people around you, the sky’s the limit for you,” he encouraged earlier this year.
It’s powerful to see a professional athlete like Anderson Jr. open up about his need for Christ and encourage others to seek a relationship with Him.
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