| Life is one wild, unpredictable ride after another for Cody Custer. Sure, Custer is a professional bull rider by trade, but he sees the similarities between his profession and his personal life.
The 1992 World Bull Riding Champion keeps the everyday ups and downs—including when he’s thrown from the back of a wild bull—in perspective through his walk with God. Custer accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his life in 1984, but fully committed to a relationship with Him four years later. While Custer is always looking for the perfect ride, he realizes God isn’t searching for perfect people.
“God knew we couldn’t be perfect,” said Custer. “If any of us could have been, He wouldn’t have needed to send Jesus to die for us.”
The veteran bull rider recalled a recent occasion where he wasn’t glorifying God through his actions. “What I do when I catch myself doing things that aren’t Christian-like things I don’t think God would be proud of I just ask for forgiveness and get back into the Word.” Custer said.
After 16 years on the pro bull riding circuit, Custer has become a well-known name in the sport. He’s been involved as both a Christian and non-Christian, so he knows what ministers to his fellow professionals—and what doesn’t.
“All these guys believe in God. I was the same way until I met Jesus,” he said. “The Bible says it’s His spirit that draws a man to him, so what I try to do is just be available.”
Custer carries tracts with him so he can share God’s plan for salvation with anyone he thinks is approachable. His favorite scripture is John 3:17, which says ‘God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.‘
Custer hasn’t spent almost two decades in bull riding without suffering his share of spills and serious injuries. He’s even seen a fellow competitor killed in a bull riding accident. But through it all, he continues to compete.
“I pray before I get on and I pray over every bull, bringing it all into submission and giving it to God,” Custer said. “It’s a dangerous sport and the possibility of injury or death is there all the time, but if that’s at the forefront of my thoughts I need to go somewhere else and do something else.”
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