October 1, 2026
When the renowned radio commentator from a previous generation, Paul Harvey, was asked the secret of his success, he replied, “I get up when I fall down.” No one exemplifies this more than another famous American. See if you can identify him.
Born in 1809, he suffered his first major defeats in 1832. Not only did he lose his job that year, but he was defeated in his first political race, a run for state legislature. The following year, he failed in business. Two years after that, his childhood sweetheart died. Then, he had a nervous breakdown in 1836. In 1843, he lost in another bid for political office, this time for the U.S. Congress. He tried and was defeated again in 1848. The next year, he was rejected in an attempt to become a land officer. He lost in a race for the U.S. Senate in 1854, as well as the nomination for the vice presidency in 1856. He was defeated again in a race for the Senate in 1858.
Such a string of losses would be enough to discourage any man. Yet, the man said, “I will always do my best no matter what…and someday my chance will come." And one day it did. In 1861, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States.
Although the above example is extreme, it’s not uncommon. Having read numerous biographies and watched a ton of documentaries, I’ve observed a key characteristic that continually surfaces — persistence.
Although Max Lucado has become one of the most prolific Christian writers of this generation, his start was less than stellar. His first book, On the Anvil: Thoughts on Being Shaped in God’s Image, written in 1985, was rejected by 15 publishers before taking off. He’s now sold over 150 million books worldwide.
Jonas Salk failed 200 times before finding the right vaccine for polio. It’s been reported that Thomas Edison tried a thousand different ways to invent the light bulb before finally succeeding.
Another president, Calvin Coolidge, the 30th, said: “Press on: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are overwhelmingly powerful.”
This brings to mind these inspiring words from the pen of the apostle Paul: “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 NASB).
In 1894, a 16-year-old boy in Harrow, England, had this note from his rhetoric teacher attached to his report card: “A conspicuous lack of success.” His name was Winston Churchill. Like Lincoln, overcoming a multitude of failures and challenges, he’d go on to become Prime Minister of England and one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century.
Paul also wrote, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9 NASB). As Edgar Guest penned in his famous poem, Don’t Quit: “So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit; it’s when things seem worst, that you mustn’t quit.” When you fall down, get up. Better days are ahead.
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Todd Gaddis is a semi-retired minister living in Athens. He continues to serve as an interim pastor and can be reached at jtoddgaddis@gmail.com.
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