It’s been so amazing to be surrounded by such uniquely gifted men on the Eagles. These men not only have incredible talent on the football field, but many of them have so much depth and wisdom spiritually as well. With the opportunity to be within this community over the past three years, I’ve been so blessed to learn from these guys. I can take lessons that they’re learning from their walk with Christ and apply them to my walk and vice versa. As we move forward through this new season, we’re continually sharpening each other’s faith.

Anytime we enter a new season to compete, we have an expectation for great things. Yes, there are always growing pains to work through — there will be highs and lows coming our way — but we’re ready to navigate through those. Not only are we anticipating success as we compete in this coming season, we’re looking forward to countless opportunities to share our faith through this platform. But as we do, we want to make sure we maintain the right frame of mind with our hearts remaining in the right place. We have a lot going on once the season starts so we need to find a good balance between what’s happening within our careers and our capacity to share the truth of the Gospel with as many people as we can.

With a million different asks coming at us at all times, we really need to pray about and discern what God is calling each of us to commit to. Just because an opportunity or request presents itself — even if it’s a great thing — doesn’t mean we are called to say yes. We all want to maximize our influence and potential to serve the Lord, but there are times when we all need to step back and say, “Alright Lord, what have You given me a heart and passion for? How can I best use the gifting You’ve given me to maximize my time, talent, and treasure to make sure I’m most-effectively honoring You?”

I believe God’s designed me to call and equip men. This is something really near and dear to my heart. If you look at men in the community, the church, and the household, they have incredibly important roles to play. Our strength, leadership and ability to speak life into situations gives us opportunities to impact others in a unique way. If we choose to really invest in serving, building up and equipping others, that’s when households, marriages, churches, and communities will be impacted.

Now that I have sons of my own, I’m realizing more and more just how important my dad was to me and how much I looked up to him when I was their age. I recognize how important my role is to my boys when I see the way they look at me. When I’m not leading well by attentively serving and praying for my wife and kids and caring about the spiritual temperature of our household, everything gets out of rhythm.

Young boys are wondering what it looks like to be a man. A godly man is one who displays Christ in the way he serves his family in strength and love, in his ability to put things on his shoulders, and how he lays the blueprint for his family so they know how they can honor the Lord too.

I’ve been so encouraged and challenged by the Christlike men God’s placed around me. Many of the guys on our team have been influencing me in great ways with their unique gifts and passions. I love learning from the wisdom and discernment of Nick Foles. Carson Wentz’s purity, joy and childlike faith inspires me daily. Jordan Matthews has an in-depth knowledge of the Word, which challenges me to understand Scripture in a deeper way. Trey Burton is a man who is eager to be out on the front lines, serving and ministering to others. Zach Ertz has an incredible zeal to grow in his faith. Jordan Hicks has a great balance of grace and truth, displaying such a tenderness in his spirit while maintaining so much strength in the Lord. The list goes on! Each one of these men is gifted in incredibly unique and powerful ways. I’m continually encouraged by each one of them as they pursue the Lord and seek to serve them in the way He’s calling them to.

What is God calling you to do? How has He uniquely equipped and established you to serve and honor Him? Don’t let fear or doubt stand in the way of your calling. Pursue Christ alongside others who can help equip, challenge and encourage you.

—Chris Maragos

Chris Maragos is a safety and special teams ace with the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a regular contributor to The Increase, providing monthly articles and opinions.