Declarations

“Let the light that shines in you be brighter than the light that shines on you.” – Coach Dabo Swinney

Although I have not taken the opportunity to be a Clemson Tiger fan, you can sign me up as a respecter of their football coach and quarterback.  Trevor Lawrence, a true freshman quarterback, led the Clemson Tigers to an undefeated football season.  Before the championship games were played, Trevor was interviewed on numerous occasions.  He spoke boldly of what is important to him.   “Growing up, my family’s always like – football’s important to me.  It’s not my life; it’s not like the biggest thing in my life I would say.  My faith is.  At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what people think about me, or how good they think I’ll play, doesn’t really matter.  I just know, no matter how big the situation is, it’s not really gonna define me.  I put my identity in what Christ says, who He thinks I am and who He says I am.”  Clemson continued its winning streak by defeating Notre Dame 30-3 in the Cotton Bowl and then winning the College Football Playoff game 44-16 against Alabama.

Coach Dabo Swinney has also taken advantage of interviews to declare his faith and outlook on life.

“All the credit, all the glory goes to the good Lord, number one.  Only God can do this and I give him all the glory.  I know where my strength comes from and I know it’s simply by his grace that I’ve been able to walk this walk this journey.”

“I try to be a good example to others, and I work hard to live my life according to my faith.”

“(The Bible) says, love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul.  The second (rule) is, love your neighbor as you’d love yourself.  It doesn’t say love your neighbor (if they’re) from the same religion.  It doesn’t say love your neighbor if they are the same color as you.  It doesn’t say love your neighbor if they pull for the same team as you.  It doesn’t say love your neighbor if they’re the same gender as you.  (It doesn’t say) love your neighbors if they have the same sexuality as you.  It just says, love your neighbor as you’d love yourself.  If we all lived by that in this country, we wouldn’t have near the problems we have.”

“For me, personally, joy comes from focusing on Jesus other than yourself.”

“We’re all going to experience death and failure and setbacks and disappointments and cancer, and it’s just a really difficult world.  For me, God is always, and my relationship with Christ, he’s given me hope and peace.”

“To be an overachiever you have to be an over believer.”

“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.”

“Bad things happen in life…but it’s how you respond that counts.”

“Do common things in an uncommon way.”

“Attitude, work ethic, love, respect for others – that doesn’t know any color.”

“If there’s really hope in the future, then there’s power in the present to deal with whatever mess you’re dealing with in your life, to step through, to hang in there, to persevere, to continue to believe in something, and that’s what my relationship with Christ did for me.  It gave me a hope and a belief, the ability to have a hope and a belief beyond my circumstances.”

“We serve a big God – big, powerful – and He’s real, and I know that.  To experience what I’ve experienced is surreal, but it’s comforting because I know that He is.  I know He loves us.  We’re imperfect people, but I know God has a plan, and I just try to live my life in a way that can hopefully be an encouragement to others.”

And without hesitation, may we, too, be prepared and ready to declare our faith and trust in Jesus when asked.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

I Timothy 4:12

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

I Peter 3:15a

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:32