Dallas Jenkins’ journey to creating the groundbreaking series The Chosen was not a story of instant success, fame, or recognition. Behind the global impact of the series was a long road filled with ambition, disappointment, failure, and a powerful lesson in humility. For years, Jenkins dreamed of becoming a filmmaker and believed he was called to use storytelling to share messages of faith. However, before he could create a project that would touch millions of lives, he first had to confront his own pride and discover the difference between pursuing God’s purpose and chasing personal validation.

From a young age, Jenkins had a passion for filmmaking. After finishing college, he received an opportunity to work on the adaptation of his father’s bestselling Left Behind book series. He began at the lowest level, even working as a secretary during production, but he slowly gained experience and moved closer to his dream of becoming a director. However, shortly before filming began, Jenkins made the difficult decision to leave the project.

With encouragement from his father and the opportunities that came from the success of the Left Behind franchise, Jenkins decided to pursue his own filmmaking path. He wanted to create movies that combined entertainment with meaningful faith-based messages. At the time, he noticed that many people in Hollywood and within the Christian entertainment world talked about making inspiring films, but very few were actually bringing those ideas to life. Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, Jenkins and his father decided to take action and create something themselves.

Their first major project was a football movie with a faith-centered message. The film attracted attention from Warner Bros., which eventually acquired it for distribution. Although it did not receive a traditional theatrical release, it reached a wide audience through DVD distribution and gave Jenkins valuable credibility in the entertainment industry. The success opened doors and allowed him to continue developing new projects.

For a time, everything seemed to be moving in the right direction. Jenkins gained more opportunities and eventually became involved in a major project supported by award-winning producers. It appeared to be the breakthrough moment he had been waiting for. After years of hard work, he finally had the chance to prove himself on a larger stage.

But somewhere along the way, Jenkins realized that his motivation had changed. While he continued to say that his goal was to achieve success so he could have a platform to share the Gospel, deep inside, he understood that he had begun seeking something else. He wanted recognition. He wanted respect from the industry. He wanted awards, financial success, and public approval because he believed those things would prove his value as a filmmaker.

Jenkins later admitted that he was searching for validation and legitimacy in the eyes of the world. He had convinced himself that success would allow him to accomplish a greater mission, but his heart had slowly become focused more on personal achievement than on serving God.

When the highly anticipated project was finally released, it became a devastating failure. Instead of becoming the career-defining achievement Jenkins expected, the film received disappointing reviews and struggled commercially. Critics described it as lacking energy and appealing mainly to believers, leaving Jenkins facing one of the lowest points of his professional life.

The failure caused him to question everything. He wondered whether he had misunderstood his calling and whether filmmaking was truly the path God had intended for him. After years of believing he was meant to tell stories through film, he suddenly felt lost and uncertain about his future.

During that difficult season, something unexpected happened. Jenkins’ wife felt led to read the biblical story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. At first, they searched for meaning in the story, wondering if it contained a message that could help them understand their situation. They focused on how Jesus brought the crowd into a place where they needed a miracle. They thought perhaps God would perform a similar miracle for Jenkins by transforming his disappointing box-office results into a dramatic success story.

But the numbers did not improve. In fact, they became worse. The miracle Jenkins expected did not happen in the way he imagined. Slowly, he realized that he had misunderstood the lesson. The story was not about Jesus multiplying success for personal achievement. It was about surrender, trust, and offering what you have to God.

The following morning, Jenkins received a surprising message on Facebook from a stranger. The person told him that it was not his responsibility to feed the 5,000 people; his responsibility was simply to offer the five loaves and two fish. Those words deeply impacted him. Jenkins saw the message as a turning point and a reminder that his role was not to control the outcome but to faithfully do his part and trust God with the results.

That moment changed his perspective completely. He realized that success had become an idol in his life. Instead of creating films purely to honor God, he had become focused on proving himself to others. He made the decision to surrender his career and his ambitions back to God. His goal was no longer to chase fame or recognition but to create the best work he could and leave the results in God’s hands.

This renewed mindset eventually led Jenkins to create The Chosen, a series that would become one of the most successful faith-based television projects in history. The show’s success came not from chasing Hollywood approval but from a deeper commitment to telling the story of Jesus in a personal and meaningful way.

Jenkins has often explained that true success for him is no longer measured by awards, numbers, or popularity. His greatest hope is that people will come to know Jesus more deeply through the series. After everything he experienced, he understood that his responsibility was not to create the miracle himself. His responsibility was simply to offer his best — his own five loaves and two fish — and allow God to do what only God could do.

The journey behind The Chosen was ultimately not just about making a television series. It was about a filmmaker learning humility, surrendering his pride, and discovering that the greatest impact often comes when personal ambition is replaced by genuine purpose.