Over the last 16 years of building All Nation Restoration from the literal ground up, starting at 18 with no money, no education, no help, and not even the ability to read or write I’ve heard a lot of things.
Some encouraging.
Most not.
And a few that stuck in my head long enough to become fuel.
One that used to echo the most always said by people who’d never built anything in their life, often religious, and almost always broke and bitter was this:
“So if a man gains the whole world but loses his soul, what does it profit him?”
They said it like a warning.
They said it like an accusation.
They said it like they knew something I didn’t.
But the irony?
It wasn’t coming from successful people watching someone go off the rails.
It was coming from the same lazy, dishonest, narcissistic people who were partially responsible for the fact I couldn’t read or write at 18.
People who’ve never sacrificed.
Never taken responsibility.
Never been honest with themselves or others.
People who used religion not as a guide to live well but as a tool to shame anyone who dared to rise above their dysfunction.
Starting All Nation Restoration wasn’t about chasing the world.
It wasn’t about cars, or money, or power.
It was about becoming someone I could be proud of.
Someone I could count on.
Someone my future children could count on.
But it’s made me a better man.
It’s taught me loyalty, honesty, ethics, and deep work ethic qualities that, strangely enough, make small-minded people uncomfortable. Especially when they’ve spent their lives justifying their failures by pretending they were too good or too spiritual to try.
They weren’t spiritual.
They were scared.
They were selfish.
They were careless.
And now, they’re angry.
Angry at the mirror you become when you take responsibility for your life.
There’s a saying you hear all the time:
“It’s lonely at the top.”
For a long time, I thought that meant the rich and powerful just couldn’t relate to the everyday person anymore. That they were isolated because they had too much.
But over time, I’ve realized that’s not what makes the top feel lonely.
It’s not the success. It’s the sacrifice.
When you delay gratification…
When you say no to easy paths and yes to responsibility…
When you choose integrity over indulgence…
You make people uncomfortable.
Especially the people who raised you.
The people who said they’d love you no matter what.
The people who were supposed to protect you.
They’ll say you’ve changed.
They’ll say you’ve sold out.
They’ll say you’ve lost your soul because they can’t stand to look at what you’ve found.
And instead of choosing humility and growth…
They attack.
So If a Man Gains the World…
Let’s flip the script:
“If a man does nothing with his life and loses his soul what did that profit him?”
Because let’s be real.
The people throwing around scripture as condemnation are often the furthest from living it.
They gossip.
They judge.
They wallow in misery.
And they resent anyone who climbs out of the hole they refuse to leave.
Yes, your friendships change.
Your family might shrink.
You won’t be surrounded by people who cheer when you get a new truck or buy a watch.
But what you will have are quiet, solid, battle-tested relationships.
The kind of friendships that don’t require constant admiration.
That don’t boil over with envy.
That understand what it’s like to be awake at 3 AM, fighting off the demons of a broken childhood.
These new relationships won’t always be blood.
But they’ll be family.
They’ll be built on respect, resilience, and shared scars.
They won’t anchor you in poverty and moral confusion.
They’ll lift you higher.
So yes, people will say things when you rise.
They’ll judge.
They’ll criticize.
They’ll weaponize religion to tear you down.
But here’s what I’ve learned:
Stay strong.
Stay focused.
And stay in business.
