We were able to talk with New Orleans’ tight end Benjamin Watson, about how he is living in the increase of Christ, his faith journey and the mentors that have been in his life. Here’s what he had to say.

What effect does your faith have on your lifestyle?

My faith in Christ allows me to live in freedom to experience what God has done for me. I used to be so afraid to make mistakes. When I realized that God’s grace is bigger than my failures, everything changed. We don’t earn the right to be called God’s children. We didn’t earn the right to be redeemed. We didn’t earn any of that stuff, but Christ earned it for us. I live in that faith.

Describe how your Journey with Christ began.

My dad was a pastor and so I was raised in a Christian home. I grew up wanting to be two things: a football player and a missionary.

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

My father has always been a role model for me. As a pastor, everybody looks up to him. I have always gone to him for guidance. Though he makes mistakes, just like everyone else, he’s a great father figure and representation of Christ to me.

What does the Increase of Christ mean to you?

First of all, the Increase of Christ needs to be on a personal level—there’s not an outward or inward Increase. Sometimes we like to project something that’s not true on the inside; if we went on in our daily lives living with a general trust in Jesus Christ without proclaiming, it we would be wrong. We’ve been called to proclaim this good news! The Increase to me means Integrity. To live a life of integrity means growing as a believer and dying to self on a daily basis. As I am growing closer and closer to Him and He’s becoming more important to me, I’m sharing that with others. There needs to be a direct correlation with what you believe and how you live that out.

What is your Life Verse? Why?

I don’t really have one verse that is “my life verse,” but Colossians 3:23 has been a verse that has really been impactful for me throughout my life. For me, I find it important to keep God’s Word before me and to understand what He is teaching me in the moment.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” –Colossians 3:23

The Increase, part of the Sports Spectrum Network, is a community of Christian pro athletes sharing their personal stories of the decrease of self and the increase of Christ (John 3:30). Visit TheIncrease.com for more stories and videos.