Professional basketball player, AJ Griffin, who plays for the Atlanta Hawks, announced that he would be quitting his extremely lucrative career in the NBA in order to pursue his true passion: spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. You know, one of the ways we know a person is legitimately transformed by an encounter with Christ is that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within that person and produce good works. I’d say giving up this level of success in order to be closer to Christ and ensure that people have a chance to repent and trust in Him for salvation fits that description. Even more amazing is that Griffin is only 21.
Our country, heck our world, needs more young men like Griffin. Let’s hope that his example will inspire other young boys to take faith in Christ seriously and not view it as something they can put off until later in life.
Griffin explained his decision in a video he uploaded to YouTube, saying, “I gave up basketball to follow Jesus.” Praise God! This is what faith looks like. Giving up something that you loved for Someone you love even more, the Savior who delivered you from death, Hell, and the grave. Now, that doesn’t mean every NBA player — or those aspiring to professional sports — should quit or walk away from their dream. It’s possible God wants you to be an athlete and use your platform to spread the gospel. The example Griffin sets here is that of being willing to step out in faith and go wherever God calls you to go.
“And I know that in a lot of people’s eyes, that seems like, it seems like a loss in the world’s eyes. But I just want to let you guys know that I’m super excited because I truly get to serve God, you know, with my full Yes, and I feel like letting go of basketball is allowing me to, you know, go into full-time ministry and truly serving the Lord with all my heart — with all my time too, as well. So, I’m just excited to see where that leads me,” Griffin continued.
via The Christian Tribune:
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Griffin further emphasized that he is excited to begin his new journey in serving the Lord with all of his time. “Yes, and I feel like letting go of basketball is allowing me to go into full time ministry and truly serving the Lord with all my heart, with all my time too, as well. So I’m just excited to see where that leads me,” he said.
The former basketball player explained how he truly came to give his life to Christ several years ago. “So, like, with that being said, Man, I just want to go through the steps on, like, how, you know, I came to this, you know, realization. I want to let go of basketball and follow God. And this really has to start off with, you know, me giving my life to Christ in 2020 I truly accepted him back then he found me. You know, I know we say we find God, but he finds us,” he recounted.
Griffin recounted how his heart began to change after he gave his life to Christ, which reshaped his life. “But yeah, it was in 2020 I gave my life to Christ, and it was the best decision of my life. It truly was. And I think my values start to change. Heart started to change. I think, before you know, I think basketball is my everything. I think basketball is so called my passion. I thought that was the reason why I was living. But when I came to God, He truly showed me that, you know, we’re all made, you know, to glorify God,” he said.
Griffin ended his explanation by offering encouragement to other individuals to step out in faith, not living only by what they behold with natural eyes, but trusting in the Lord to guide you down the correct path.
“I hope this, this video also, too, encourages people to not live in fear. Because I think fear, you know, tries to stop a lot of people from pursuing what they know, what you know, God has told them to do, told them to do. And I just want to be encouragement, you know, to walk by faith,” he said, going on to add, “You know, not by sight. You know God, he’s he’s the one that truly provides. He’s the one who takes away and gives. And so just know that it’s all working out pretty good. You know, don’t worry about the outside noise. You know, focus on your personal relationship with Jesus. And you know, everything, everything else will be added.”