You might be surprised to hear this from a professional footballer — football wasn’t my main interest growing up. I preferred dancing, karate, painting or drawing. I always did well in my classes. But when I started secondary school, I moved to a new city. And everyone in that city played football.
At first, I joined so I wouldn’t be left out. Playing provided much needed friends in my new neighborhood. Soon, people told me I was good, so I played because I liked to hear their praise. The better I performed on the field, the more popular I became, and I played so I could feel important.
I played football because I wanted to impress others or feel successful. Over time, I felt like most people liked me only because I was good at football. There was always something I needed to do to feel accepted.
A failed class forced me to move to a new city to focus on my schoolwork. There, I was disconnected from everything I knew. But in that displacement, I heard the gospel for the first time. The message of Jesus opened my heart to a different kind of love and acceptance.
I began to grasp that God’s love wasn’t earned–it was already mine, even when I had nothing to offer. He accepted me as I was. When I put my trust in Jesus, I felt a sense of validation and acceptance. This far exceeded anything I felt from playing football. My salvation filled a void that achievements could never fill.
After that, I wanted to share my experience with other people. I went from house to house, telling people about Jesus. I told my story to people in class, in taxis, and on the bus–I wanted other people to know Jesus. His love was so good, so redeeming. I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself.
My life was filled with a new purpose—to share the Jesus I knew with everyone I could. This wasn’t about me, and it wasn’t about what other people thought about me. I was driven by a desire much bigger than that. My ambitions were about God’s Kingdom. I wanted to do work that would not just satisfy me here on earth but ripple throughout eternity.
Challenge
Spend some time in prayer. Let this question guide you: “Who has God created me to be?”
Once you feel confident in who you are in Christ, start to think about this question: “What has God designed me to do?”
Prayer
“Father, thank you for loving and accepting me, not because of what I have done, but because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. Would You stir within my heart a new purpose — to share your love with others. Fill me with the desire to be your vessel here on earth, so that the world can experience the transformational power of your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Who We Are
If you’re wondering what it really means to belong to Jesus—to know Him personally and experience the love and purpose Eyong is talking about—we here at Athletes in Action would love to help you take that next step. Click here to begin your journey of discovering who Jesus is and how you can have a relationship with Him.