A Tested Faith Can Be a Growing Faith

Even in times of crisis, we can see that God is making Himself known to us. We can seek His face and walk in His light and be confident that Christ is in us and walking with us. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 states:
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Sports fans have been anticipating the NFL Draft for quite some time, and the selections of players for the National Football League recently occurred in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where crowds estimated at over 600,000 showed up for the three-day event, when Cam Ward was the 1st pick, selected by the Tennessee Titans.  Ward was one of two quarterbacks taken during the 1st round, in contrast to last year, when 6 QB's were selected.  That 2024 mark tied the record that was set in 1983.  That's according to Topps.com, which related that three future Hall of Fame quarterbacks were drafted that year: Dan Marino, John Elway, and Jim Kelly. 

Kelly had a religious upbringing and an awareness of God, but he was repelled by Christians, according to a recent Christian Post article, featuring quotes from the "Grace Begins" podcast.  The article says:

After playing in the NFL, getting married and having three children, Kelly's life became more challenging after their son experienced medical problems throughout his short life, which concluded when he died in 2005 at the age of 8.

"Every time I would come home, there was … four or five people in the house because nurses, doctors, people were always coming around the house to take care of the kids," he recalled. "Me and my wife, we pretty much lost interest in each other even though Hunter was the only reason that we were still married."

Kelly admitted he had been unfaithful in his marriage. He said the experience of losing his son had a negative impact on his faith in the short term.

"I said to my wife, 'If being a Christian is being like you, I don't want to be one.'"

He said, about his wife, Jill: "She knew when to talk to me about it and when not to, and she slowly got me into it," referring to Christianity, which was something that he disliked having "forced on" him during his NFL career. The article goes on to say:

Kelly cited an intervention from his mother-in-law about 18 years ago as the reason he got his life back on track.

"She said, 'If you don't change your life, you're going to lose everything,'" he explained.

Kelly concluded that if he did not change, "I'm going to lose my wife, I'm going to lose my kids, everything I've worked for, my name, my foundations that I set up."

But, Jim Kelly has withstood the trials and grown closer to the Lord.  The Christian Post piece relates:

Kelly discussed his four battles with cancer and credited God with ensuring his survival even though he was told he had a less than 2% chance of beating cancer and endured a 12-hour surgery.

"When I went through all that and I knew what God was doing in my life, I now know why He put me through all that — to test my faith and if I'm ever going to give up on Him."

"He's the reason not only I'm still here but my wife, my daughters and the life I live now, I thank God every day for it," Kelly added.

Jim was baptized in 2023, and a Christian Post article reported:

"Becoming a Christian is the best decision I've made in my life," Kelly stressed. "I wish I would've come to him sooner. But, His timing is perfect."

"Finally, I was baptized. I have so many people to thank especially all of the people who have prayed for me for so long. THANK YOU."

In his post, Kelly thanked his friends and his men's fellowship group for helping him to "be a better man."

He also expressed gratitude to his wife, Jill, for never abandoning him and encouraging him in his faith and thanked his two daughters for helping him be a better dad.

Jim Kelly returns to speak at this year's Gridiron Men's Conference in Huntsville in June, along with Jeff Foxworth, Phil Waldrep and others.  You can learn more at gridironmen.org.  

Jim and Jill Kelly lead a foundation called Hunter's Hope, in memory of their young son who died.

On this Friday before Mother's Day, I wanted to make a note of a wife and a mother-in-law who were faithful to speak truth to Jim Kelly.  We can be thankful for those times in which a mother, like my own, who has gone home to be with the Lord, has demonstrated the love of Christ.  A godly wife who is devoted to raising children to know the Lord can help a man become a better father.

We also recognize that the fact of the matter is life can be challenging at times - and we need to know and experience the power of God.  God will use our times of trial to bring us closer to Him, and that is a key component of Jim Kelly's life story.  But, we could reject the promptings and power of God and turn away from Him during those tough time.  Or, we can admit that He knows what's best for us and is working for our good.  

And, we might just need to be broken, as well - Jim had rejected Christianity, in general, and God humbled him through trouble.  Just as God was longsuffering toward Israel, which is beautifully stated throughout the Old Testament, He is longsuffering toward us - but He loves us greatly and wants to us to know Him deeply.