Here are six ingredients which are always found in lasting success: 1) Information. If we don’t stay informed, we’ll get left behind. 2) Intuition. This partly comes with experience, but with God’s help, we can also develop discernment, a ‘feeling in our spirit’ about what to do for the best. 3) Initiative. This is when we’re willing to step out in faith and act on what we know intuitively. 4) Intentionality. This is when we’re willing to set specific goals, as well as timelines for reaching them. 5) Intensity. This calls for more than starting power. It also needs staying power. 6) Integrity. This is the glue that holds those last five things together. And it’s rooted in that private life we develop alone with God. We often hear architects, engineers, and builders say, ‘This building has structural integrity,’ which is another way of saying that the outer beauty of a tall, graceful skyscraper relies on its private, unseen foundations that have been solidly constructed deep in the earth. It’s that hidden life of a building that brings structural integrity. It’s also the hidden life of a fruit tree – the unseen root system that digs deep into the earth – that produces those juicy, delectable fruits. And it’s the same with us. Integrity must be rooted in our private lives. Talent might bring success and opportunities, but it takes character to protect and maintain our success in God’s eyes. The truth is that when our integrity is rooted in our private world, it’s reflected in our personal world, our professional world, and our public world.
