Bill Belichick is one of the most fascinating and intriguing people in sports. We know he’s successful and arguably the best NFL coach ever. But as respected as he is for football strategy and managing an NFL team, he seems to be mischaracterized as a man. 

It’s hard to know if he’s to blame for coming across as standoffish and arrogant, or if it’s the media’s narrative of his personality. The legend of Belichick is certainly unique with his short answers to the media…his infrequent smiles…and his cutoff hoodie…however, when you see how the NFL Network depicts him in their documentaries, he isn’t at all who he appears to be.

By following him behind the scenes and showing how he interacts with people away from the limelight, he talked about “persona” completely disappears. One documentary showed him dressing up for Halloween, fishing on his boat, interacting lovingly with his kids, and explaining to his team the importance of celebrating together after touchdowns.

Witnessing a completely different side of Bill Belichick makes me wonder why he doesn’t want people to see him for who he really is? Why does he want to be perceived as the “other guy” instead? It also makes me dig deeper into my own sincerity, transparency, and persona.

Do I let people know the real me? Do others know how much I truly love Jesus? Have I allowed myself to live up to how people think I am, instead of who I am deep down? Am I scared to be genuine and vulnerable? Have I explained to people how Jesus has changed me and that I’m no longer that “other guy?”

We all wrestle with being open and honest with ourselves and others about who we truly are (both the good and the bad), but as followers of Jesus, we must understand we are being transformed and called to a new life.

Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 1:12 – “We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.”

Today with confidence and sincerity, let’s conduct ourselves in a way that depends on God’s grace and reveals to the world who Jesus is and what He means to us. Let’s not hide or pretend to be someone we’re not. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray that You would help me be sincere and transparent in who I really am, instead of misleading others and pretending to have some kind of persona. I pray that people would see You shine through me, and there would be evidence of the change that has taken place in me because of Jesus. I pray this in His name, Amen.