Mountain-moving faith
By Lyndia Grant
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:23-24.
Have you tried a new idea, but because you were not successful at it, you quit? And others of you tried and failed several times, and then you quit? You’re not alone. Every successful person, except those born with a silver spoon, has had to overcome failures.
In this column, let’s focus on scripture and real-life, true stories of millionaires and billionaires who succeeded in a big way yet failed over and over again. As my mentor, Les Brown, always told The Les Brown Speakers, “Fail your way to success!”
According to the Online College website, a list of 50 successful people from various industries were first fired, told to forget about their dream, or told they should put that thing down and find something else. Had these persons not possessed mountain-moving faith, we never would have heard of them. Let’s take a look at some of them.
*Henry Ford, known for his American-made cars, wasn’t an instant success. Ford’s early businesses failed, he was left broke five times before he founded the successful Ford Motor Co.
*Oprah Winfrey, one of the most iconic faces on TV, one of the richest and most successful women in the world, Oprah had to endure a rough and often abusive childhood as well as numerous career setbacks. She was fired from her job as a television reporter back when she started in Baltimore because she was “unfit for TV.”
*Elvis Presley was still a nobody in 1954 and Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired him after just one performance, telling him, “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.”
*Walt Disney started The Disney Company, which rakes in billions from merchandise, movies and theme parks around the world. But Disney himself had a bit of a rough start. He was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” He started and failed in businesses that became bankrupt. He kept plugging along, eventually finding a recipe for success.
*Sidney Poitier was told by the casting director, “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?” Poitier vowed to show him that he could make it, going on to win an Oscar and to become one of the best-regarded actors in the business.
*Lucille Ball is seen around the world today in reruns, but before starring in “I Love Lucy,” she was widely regarded as a failed actress. Her drama instructors advised her to try another profession.
Be encouraged when the going gets tough; this is when the tough will get going. Just reread this column and notice the pattern. When you fall down, just get back up again and find a way, but don’t quit. Either way, what you decide is only an indication of your own faith. No one else can succeed for you. Your success depends on your ability to listen and hear the voice of the Lord. Ask the Lord to “order your steps.”
Hang up this scripture: Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” After all, it is what you came to this Earth to do, and no one can do that thing better than you!
Lyndia Grant is an author, inspirational and motivational speaker, radio talk show host, and columnist.
