The Increase

THE INCREASE: 5 Questions With Ravens CB Brandon Boykin

By The Increase Jun 22, 2017
Brandon Boykin in 2015 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo Courtesy: Jeffrey Beall (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

What effect does your faith have on your lifestyle?

My faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation of my life, I base everything else in my life off of this. It’s the number one thing that I turn to before I make any decisions. Because of my faith in Christ, I carry myself differently than I otherwise would. I want to honor God with my life and draw others to Him through my actions and words. Then, when people ask me why I’m different, I can share the hope that I have in Him.

Describe how your journey with Christ began.

I grew up going to church every week with my family. My parents were strong believers who have always demonstrated what it meant to be Christ-followers. I was saved at a young age, but as I grew older and gained my own understanding of what it meant to be a child of God, I began living more boldly and obediently for Christ.

When I was at college, though I was a Christian, there were things I was doing that I knew weren’t right. While straddling the fence between worldliness and  Christianity, I always felt a strong conviction that told me I was being disobedient. I soon realized that I could have everything I wanted in this life, but without God, I would be empty.

Who have been the mentors in your life? How did God bring these people into your life?

My mom and dad are two incredible people. They each broke the cycle of poverty in their families, being the first to attend college and accomplish everything they set out to do. They set the standard for me, my brother, and the rest of our family. Not only that, they made so many sacrifices for us while I was growing up. When I was a kid, I didn’t realize the extent to which they would serve and support us. I thought it was normal to have your parents at every practice and every game, driving hours and often getting home at 9 or 10 at night only to wake up and do it again the next day, and seeing them take time off work to help me pursue my dreams.

Having been married for over 30 years now, my parents were high school sweethearts that have been faithful to each other since. Like with any relationship, they’ve had their adversities, but they’ve always put Christ at the forefront of everything they do, providing an amazing example for me and my wife, which we aim to follow.

What does the Increase of Christ mean to you?

To me, the increase of Christ means that He is the center of my universe. He’s in the forefront of my mind and heart—of everything that I do. We are naturally programmed, especially as athletes, to be the center of our own universe. With this view, our lives are determined by what we want, how we feel, and how we can be the best. But in reality, it’s not about us at all! To maximize our influence and potential, we must focus on increasing Christ in our lives.

What is your life verse and why?

“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” —Mark 11:23-24

A lot of people take this verse out of context but it’s something that I’ve really stuck to in the past few years. I’ve experienced a lot of adversity and struggles recently, but whenever I have prayed to God and placed it in His hands, I’ve always overcome. It may not turn out the way I expect or at the time I hope for, but in God’s perfect plan, He guides me through.

— Brandon Boykin

— Brandon Boykin

Brandon Boykin is a cornerback with the Baltimore Ravens and a regular contributor to The Increase, providing monthly articles and opinions.

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