It's still hard to understand how and why the Philadelphia Eagles fell apart at the end of the 2023 season, losing six of their final seven games, including the embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bucs in the NFC Wild Card game.
But now, as we reflect on what happened then, it seems that those end-of-season struggles actually set them up to win this year's Super Bowl.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Monday morning, "I look back on last year and how last year ended, and I'm grateful. As crazy as this sounds, I'm grateful how last year ended because it shaped us to who we are today [with] the adversity of the beginning of the year and the adversity through the season, through injuries, through ups and downs, through everything.
“I think that when you embrace adversity, it does something to you, right? It does something to you personally, right? Each and every individual on that football team, the adversity does something to you, and it does something to you as a football team as well."
As sports fans, we know that adversity is a big part of the journey of champions. It may seem cliché, but winning teams learn from each challenge, overcome difficulties, and grow stronger because of hardships.
Adversity is also a big part of our journey as followers of Jesus. Although it can be hard to deal with adversity, we must remember that challenges strengthen and shape us to become more like Jesus.
It may sound weird to hear Sirianni talk about embracing adversity and indicating he was grateful for it, but the Bible encourages us to take a similar approach when experiencing troubles.
Romans 5:3-5 (NLT) says, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love."
We grow in our character and faith as God helps us endure and overcome life's challenges. Through His power and ongoing work in us, we can embrace adversity and be grateful for it, knowing it "does something to you."
To expound even further on the verses above, Romans 5:1-5 (TLB) tells us, "So now, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith in His promises, we can have real peace with Him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
“For because of our faith, He has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be.
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.
“Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love."
We all face adversity in life, but instead of viewing it as a negative, what if we, as followers of Jesus, were grateful for how it deepens our faith, develops our character, and teaches us patience? Today, let’s willingly embrace adversity as we rest in God's love.
I'm Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me rejoice in adversity and view it with gratitude because You're using it to change me. Thank you for loving me the way you do. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.
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