What an incredible Super Bowl - both exciting and entertaining from start to finish! Although always surprising to see the Patriots lose, last night was all about the Eagles.
This special team, filled with players and coaches who embody humility, selflessness, and boldness, was easy to root for...and seeing them become champions was thrilling.
Among tons of takeaways from the game and countless stories about this team, the one word that sums up the Eagles and what they represented during the Super Bowl run, is faith.
Other teams facing the Patriots have allowed fear to creep in and cause them to respond negatively. The Falcons played scared last year and allowed New England to come back. The Jaguars didn’t finish strong in the AFC Championship because they were afraid to lose.
The Eagles, however, were a different story. The faith they displayed was a clear combination of poise, peace, confidence, and calmness. Nick Foles, a backup quarterback, and Doug Pederson, a second-year head coach, boldly led the way by not letting the pressure of the big stage get in the way of how they approached this monumental game.
Not only did faith drive their demeanor, but also affected their play-calling. I'm still pumped (and hoarse from yelling) about the gutsy decision they made to attempt the 4th down trick play touchdown (Foles’ catch) to end the first half.
Similarly, another remarkable (yet risky) executed play took place again in the 4th quarter when Zach Ertz came up huge with a 4th down catch to keep the drive alive.
Instead of letting fear take over, the Eagles showed faith in each other, the coaching staff, and in the play-calling. This type of faith was continuously displayed throughout the season, but more importantly, so was their faith in Jesus. The team's leadership is built on that foundation.
Doug Pederson, Zach Ertz, Nick Foles, and countless others were more than willing to explain where their confidence and peace come from. They accomplished an incredible feat last night, but wanted to make sure everyone knew where the glory should be pointed.
As we think about how faith has defined this Philadelphia team, I hope we’ll consider the role it plays in our own lives. Do we make decisions and have a demeanor based on faith or fear? Does our faith give us the confidence to call for a trick play on 4th down...or do we always play it safe and find ourselves afraid of failure?
Does our faith in God allow us to have peace when the pressure is great? Does it lead to boldness even when we’re considered the underdog?
Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) says, "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.”
When we surrender our lives to Jesus and place our faith in Him, His power and strength allow us to do the impossible.
We don't have to let fear win when we’re up against financial trouble, addiction, waiting, uncertainty, a health crisis, or even death. Instead, we can approach our own daunting “Super Bowl” with peace and confidence.
Today, let's "step on the field" and go for it on "4th down" knowing God is with us...and that our faith is rooted in the magnificent, all-powerful, King of the world.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray I would live with a big faith that unlocks Your power and peace within me. I pray I’d live boldly and confidently knowing that You have already overcome the world. Use me for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
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