Actor Denzel Washington told the University of Colorado Boulder football team that although he once rejected God, he now believes his true calling is to preach.
Speaking via video months after being baptized and receiving his ministerial license, the 70-year-old opened with a prayer: “In all that I say, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in God’s sight.” Reflecting on his spiritual journey, he described himself as someone who moved “from faith to ‘F it,’” admitting, “I rejected God. I hated God.” Yet, he added, “God has had nothing but patience with me. That’s why they call it grace.”
Washington told the athletes that while football may be their gift, it is not their ultimate purpose. “God did not put you here to play football,” he said. “He gave you that gift, but that’s not your purpose in life.” Injuries can end a sports career in an instant, he warned, but their God-given purpose is deeper.
Looking back on his own life, Washington said he never planned to become an actor but eventually recognized it as his God-given ability. “God did not put me on this planet to act; God put me on this planet to preach,” he declared, recalling a prophecy spoken over him decades ago that he would “travel the world and preach to millions of people.”
He also spoke candidly about his past, saying he used and sold drugs as a teenager and believes “the only reason” he is not in prison is “by the grace of God.” “God found me long before I found him,” he said, sharing stories of close calls that he believes reflected God’s mercy.
Encouraging the players to seek stillness and listen, he concluded, “Get up in the morning and be quiet… Breathe. Listen.”
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