“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
-Joshua 1:9
Heading into Baylor University, there has been a lot of excitement surrounding the name of student athlete Blake Shapen. A two sport player, Shapen has made his name known as a quarterback for the Baylor football team as well as being one of the highest recruits headed to the Baylor baseball team. As Shapen prepares for what his time at Baylor may bring and looks to excel in both sports throughout his time with the Bears, he is focused on using his gifts to inspire others.
“Growing up I would say that my faith wasn’t as strong as it is now. The reason being that when you grow up you start to learn more about Jesus and understand that someone is guiding your life other than yourself, and when I was younger I wasn’t able to grasp that fully.”
As Shapen has leaned into whatever role he has on the football team, he has been staying grounded by leaning on his faith and trusting that God is in control.
“Faith definitely influences my athletic career tremendously. Believing in my prayers and having the faith that those things I prayed about coming true impacts the daily obstacles that I strive to overcome.”
Shapen says that his time around the game of football and baseball have allowed him to grow in discipline, relationships with others, and keeping God first in his life.
After Baylor football came into the year after a 2-7 year in 2020, they shocked the world under head coach Dave Aranda on their way to a 12-2 record and Sugar Bowl victory. For Shapen, when he took over at QB, the impact he made was immediate, helping lead the Bears to big wins including one that awarded them with a conference championship. Coach Aranda has always prioritized making better people before better players, and that has continued to rub off on many of the athletes on the team. Shapen says his faith reminds him that regardless of the ups and downs, God is in control and things will work out just as he intended them to.
“Now that I’m in college you definitely have more downs than ups that you typically would have in high school and that is normal, so just having the faith in God that he can fix just about any problem or issue that is in your way with time is amazing.”
Shapen says that time has really become a priority for him, making sure he carves out spaces during his day where he can spend time in the word and growing as a human being first and foremost.
With each rep that Shapen takes for the Bears, he looks at it as an opportunity to use his gifts to point others to Jesus. Regardless of how much playing time he sees on the field, he is committed to taking advantage of every snap he gets and using it to inspire others. As he wraps up the football season, Shapen already has committed himself to giving God glory in every circumstance and never putting himself first. For Blake, it’s all about loving others and pointing them to Him.
