Success Is Not Earned, It Is Given!

We tell our kids that if they do right, and they make the good grades, and they go through the programme, they will become successful. That if you work hard enough, your work will pay off. And that’s not true, success is given, it’s not earned, because you can be the most brilliant individual, but if someone doesn’t tap you…

For each one of you, there were people who could hit harder, who could catch better, who could run faster, but somebody said, “You, you’re the one,” and the other fifty behind you fell off. And because of that, I don’t know what that emotion or that feeling is, which is a scary thing. Because I went through all the programmes, I have done Broadway, I have done off-Broadway, I have been in the business for twenty-four years. I have been in two Academy Award films, I have done Independent films, I have done major motion pictures. Now, I am Captain America. So now what?

That, dear reader, is a verbatim transcription of a podcast episode where actor Anthony Mackie is in conversation with some of the most successful American Football Athletes. “Success is given, it is not earned,” he opined, and I agree with him.

Photo by ThisisEngineering on Unsplash

Apostle Joshua Selman tells a story of a young advocate who was in search of his breakthrough, and so he courted this very successful lawyer for a considerable period. He always showed up to events where the guru was speaking, often hanging around his office, baying for an appointment.

Then, on one good day, out of sheer luck and coincidence, he gets his chance to meet the successful barrister. So they walk together towards his office, and he is engaging him in all this small talk; asking him about how his family is doing, whether the children and the wife are well, and the legal titan kept going on and on. The lad was getting impatient, telling him he was looking for an opportunity to propel him to greatness, and his demeanour expressed that he had very little interest in the small talk that had ensued.

Meanwhile, all this was happening in the glare of many others who would kill to be in the young lawyer’s place at that moment. They were all looking for their moment in the sun, a chance to present their ideas to the law guru.

As soon as the two stepped into the office, the Law maestro told the young man that he had given him all he needed to succeed, and if he ever fails, he should blame no one but himself. The lad was confused. But essentially, from among the many, he had been chosen amidst the envious glare of everyone else. As soon as he stepped out of the office and for many years that followed, all those who needed the barrister’s services but couldn’t reach him, brought all the legal work to this lad, perceiving that he was a close associate of the man. The rest, as they say, is for the history books. Success is given, it is not earned.

Success is not earned, it is given!

“When you try your best, but you don’t succeed When you get what you want, but not what you need When you lose something you can’t replace Could it be worse?” — Coldplay

Last week was my 90th published story; I have no entitlement whatsoever; life owes me nothing, I don’t write for glory after all. Success for me is being able to publish a story every week. However, if these 90 articles, this being the 91st, caught the eye of a prominent online magazine editor, and he featured one each week, perhaps I would be a household name by now, and might have kissed the 9–5 goodbye. I deviate.

In 1997, on the little-known Portuguese Island of Madeira, football scouts selected a skinny boy to be drafted into professional football over all his peers, and particularly over one of them who is said to have been a better goal scorer. The skinny boy went on to dominate the world stage to this day, and the annals of football history for centuries to come will call him one of the greatest to ever kick a football. His name, however, is Cristiano Ronaldo.

Shakespeare wrote that some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Success is given, it is not earned. Even in the achievement of greatness, someone has to choose you from the many that are vying for the same position.

The very existence that we enjoy today and the assurance of eternal glory are guarantees that we do not deserve. It has all been freely given, a gift. What we deserved was eternal damnation, a total separation from God for eternity. But by His mercies — through His infinite grace, and the perfect sacrifice of His son, the one who knew no sin but bore all ours that we may be seated in glory, in him, at the right hand of the Father — We have been gifted eternal life by grace through faith.

Success is not earned, it is given.

See you next Friday.

ThE LAst TeSO cHieF