Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. – Hebrews 11:1

Last week, we started looking at Steph Curry as an example of holistic success. 

We know he has had great success in his career, and it appears he is succeeding at home as well. I’ve found that faith, work ethic and core values are three pillars of success that Steph has that could improve the outcomes of all our lives.

Why is faith necessary for success? 

Webster's defines faith as complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Hebrews 11 says that faith shows us what we hope for. Faith is the evidence of things we cannot see – yet.

Doing what has been done by many requires little faith. If we can see people all around us doing it, why can’t we? Accomplishment on that level requires little faith.

But what happens when you decide to do something that hasn’t been done before or at least not done by anyone you know?

Striving towards an accomplishment of that level requires vision. Believing you can do it when the world says you can’t requires faith.

Failing repeatedly and getting back up is not easy. Most quit and join the crowd again. Attempting to do what few have done is lonely work. That is why it requires so much faith, so much belief that you can accomplish what few have.

Here are some ways faith can help you succeed.

Grit: Determination, perseverance, grit – whatever you want to call it. People who succeed at the highest levels have a ton of it. If your vision is big enough you will not accomplish it on the first try, or the third, fifth or maybe 20th. You’ll need grit. That grit will come from your unwavering belief (faith) that if you keep trying, you can accomplish the goal.

Inspiration: We are mentally programmed to follow the herd. We believe there is safety in the herd. This mentality is what makes it so difficult to sail our ships into uncharted territory. Our minds seem to be screaming for us to go back to the crowd, to safety.

This is where we need a vivid vision of the future to inspire us. We must see in our minds the outcome we are shooting for (and all the benefits of accomplishing it) to continue to fight for it day after day. Refocusing on this vision is a way to inspire ourselves and to keep going.

Passion: As you inspire yourself daily to accomplish your vision that no one can see but you, your passion for the path will grow. Passion can drive us to do some silly things. It can also drive us to do great things – things that everyone thought could not be done.

Faith in a future that inspires you is the only way to accomplish what seems impossible.

Steph’s faith in God powers his belief in his future. What are you believing for? What are you building up your faith for? We all need the pursuit of a God-sized vision to bring out the best in us, to keep us focused and to motivate and inspire us.

I believe that is what God is trying to get us to understand in Proverbs 29:18 where it states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” 

The Message translation states “if people cannot see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves.”

We stumble most when we are not focused on what God called us to accomplish. I’ll leave you with this quote from Steph.

“If you take time to realize what your dream is and what you really want in life – no matter what it is, whether it’s sports or in another field – you have to realize there is always work to do, and you want to be the hardest working person in what you do, and you put yourself in a position to be successful.”