Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson continues to be one of the most outspoken NFL players concerning his Christianity, promoting his faith through social media and interviews. Wilson tweeted yesterday, "Grateful for how far He has brought me. Thanks for always loving me Jesus." This latest tweet is just one among dozens that reference Bible verses and include Christian messages.
The Sunday morning prior to the Super Bowl, Wilson tweeted a picture of himself at church along with the Bible verse 2 Corinthians 5:17. That same day, he steered the Seahawks to victory, then led his teammates in kneeling on the field, giving glory to God. Instantly, Wilson's popularity grew astronomically along with his voice for Christianity.
In an interview with Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll, Wilson credited his success to his faith, stating that his accomplishments would have been impossible without God.
"God's given me so much talent and my height doesn't define my skill set," Wilson told CBS This Morning the day after the Super Bowl. "I believe that God has given me a right arm and for some reason even though I'm 5'11" to be able to make the throws and make great decisions on the field and all that."
Because he believes his talents are a gift from God, Wilson views his accomplishments with humility. "I try to live humbly ... without Him, I wouldn't be where I am today," says Wilson - "God has put me on that field for a reason, in front of 80,000 people."
The athlete believes his faith is what turned his life around at the age of 14, getting him through "a lot of adversity."
"I used to beat up kids and bite kids and do stuff all the time," Wilson said in a documentary. "But one night I had a dream that my dad passed away and that Jesus came into the room and he was basically knocking on my door, saying, 'Hey, you need to find out more about me,'" Wilson said. "So that Sunday morning I ended up going to church and that's when I got saved."
Now, faith is what drives the football player. "In terms of my faith, that's the number one thing in my life. To be able to play the game of football...I give all the glory to Him," he told radio station K-LOVE.
Wilson believes he can use his celebrity to promote the gospel, quoting 1 Corinthians 16:13, which states "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong" on his Twitter page.
Ultimately, Wilson told Driscoll, his faith in Christ is what motivates and encourages him.
"Jesus is love! At the end of the day, we are all looking for someone to comfort us, somebody to be there for us at all times. When we are at the worst times of our lives, when we are battling with something, or struggles, whatever it may be, when we are at our highest point as well, when things are going really well, we want somebody to comfort us and be there for us and to say, 'Well done.' That's Jesus!"
