“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)
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If you live in North America, this past winter may have hit you pretty hard. By early February we were getting hit with our third Sunday night snow storm in a row in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My kids loved it (especially since it meant many school days canceled), but it definitely didn’t feel so fun for my wife and me.
But it reminded me of the numerous highlight-reel moments from NFL snow games, and one in particular has become my favorite. It comes from Jameis Winston on a Thursday night game in November 2024 between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A reporter asked Winston, “We’re expecting winds up to 15 mph and a wintery mix, how will that impact your ability to throw the ball?” With a smile stretching across his face, Jameis responded, “I am so happy and grateful that the Lord has blessed me to play in some snow, to be in true football weather in Cleveland, Ohio, at Huntington Bank Field today to get Him the glory. It’s a beautiful day.”
Jameis could have given a standard athlete answer about stepping up during challenges, and yet he chose to give glory to God with a smile on his face, and thank Him for the opportunity to play in the snow.
Life is full of storms. From performance woes on the field to troubles with relationships, to job losses and sickness. And if most of us are honest, we too often allow our circumstances to determine our feelings. But as I’ve been told over the years, happiness is something you experience while joy is something you choose. So how do we choose joy in the midst of trials?
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is known as “the epistle of joy” in spite of the fact that it was written while he was imprisoned. Many sports fans are familiar with athletes quoting Philippians 4:13 (NKJV), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” but the context of this verse isn’t about God giving us the strength to win.
If we look at the two verses before it, Paul indicates that he has learned to be content with whatever he has (v. 11), living with everything or almost nothing (v. 12). In this passage Paul shows that we can have joy when we stay focused on Christ.
If right now you’re going through the storm, or a series of storms, I would encourage you to take it as an opportunity to grow closer to Christ. We know He is with the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). And we know that God uses trials to grow our character (James 1:2-4).
When we go through storms, let’s have the same attitude as Jameis Winston and use it as an opportunity to point people toward God.
— Andrew Pepper, Halifax Mooseheads chaplain
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