The most surprising team so far in the NFL has to be the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles. With a new coaching staff and a rookie quarterback from North Dakota State, not many people could have imagined they would be this good so quickly.

I must admit that Carson Wentz is my new favorite player, and yesterday’s huge win against Pittsburgh was incredible. Fans in “Wentzylvania” are fired up to have this impressive QB leading the way.

Wentz has many of the skills needed to thrive in the NFL, such as the physical measurements and high intelligence, but what makes this early success sustainable is the support system that surrounds Wentz.

He has been truly blessed to end up in a situation where his head coach, Doug Pederson, had a long NFL career as a quarterback playing behind Brett Favre and Dan Marino, while his offensive coordinator is Frank Reich, who backed up Jim Kelly and coached Peyton Manning and Phillip Rivers.

Pederson and Reich, along with Wentz’s reliable backup QB, Chase Daniel, understand the position extremely well and have helped Wentz transition from a small college to the NFL with a 3-0 start. Throw in the fact that his older brother and sister-in-law moved to Philadelphia to enhance his support system off the field, Wentz is set up for success.

This is a great example of how valuable a support system can be in sports, but also how critical it is in our own lives. I’m sure most of us desire to thrive in our faith, marriages, parenting, and work, but succeeding on our own can be very difficult.

We need encouragement, guidance, advice, wisdom, and mentors. Having all of the answers is impossible, so we must look to others for assistance. We can learn from them as they help us avoid pitfalls, strengthen our understanding of how to follow Jesus, and encourage us to make God-honoring decisions. At the same time, we can be a blessing to others by offering our support to those who need it.

The Bible says in Proverbs 11:14 (ESV), “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”

Also, Proverbs 15:22 (NLT) tells us, “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.”

Too often in life, we try to do things in our own power while trying to figure out what’s best with our own limited knowledge. However, the sooner we become reliant on God and others to support us and guide us with wisdom, the more likely we are to truly thrive.

If we lack a strong support system, let’s ask God to provide one for us while also being willing to support others. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the people that have come alongside me over the years, and I ask that You would continue to strengthen my support system so that I can make wise decisions. I pray that I would be surrounded by people that encourage me to follow Jesus closely and seek Your will. Help me to be supportive of others, as well. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.