“What’s the Recipe for Success?” Sure, I could give you a list of tips that you should do to achieve your goals and successes. But chances are, if we are being real, you already know that it takes a series of behaviors, characteristics, and decisions to achieve success. Arrange the time in your schedule, remove distractions, plan, take breaks, and get sleep. – You knew that, right? Nothing you haven’t heard before. But, the problem isn’t a lack of knowledge, it’s a lack of commitment.

Are there Christian principles or Kingdom laws that I should be following that will help me achieve the goals I believe are part of my destiny?

It’s Not About What You Know, It’s Whether You Apply What You Know.

Have you ever sat back and admired a person, or maybe a group of people who you consider extremely successful, and then wondered how they do it? Whether it is in ministry, their job, or in their marriage, maybe with their health or finances. You just watch and ask yourself; how did they get there? Why can’t I have that?

Some people make assumptions thinking those that are successful, are successors. That they were just lucky or had it easy. Born into the right family. Gifted with an inheritance. Allowed some God-given favor over others. Or they simply met the right person at the right time.

Admittedly, there was a time in my life when I came from a place of envy, and I thought all of these things to be true about most successful people. I looked through my own eyes and drew these conclusions about people I knew nothing about. But as I have matured in faith, studied, found successful mentors, and learned from my own experience. This isn’t really how it works.

What does the Bible say about success?

We know already that the world would describe success through a measure of wealth, power, and popularity. It focuses on what is fleeting and only lasts but a moment in the grand scheme is a very long time to allow the world’s treasures to keep you from Success with a Biblical perspective.

Success is obedience to God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, motivated by love for God and God’s people. Success is taking steps toward fulfilling the calling and anointing on our lives. And it means going all in, remembering, what it says in Colossians 3:17, whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men.

Kingdom Principle: Sustained Success Requires Intentionality.

Even overnight celebrities have years with no likes, comments, or shares before that one special video spreads like wildfire. Other times people get lucky with this overnight counterfeit success but as quickly as they gain the following is as quick as it goes. Even “trust fund babies” work hard to keep money, and reinvest the money so it continues to make money. Successful people are not lucky. They are intentional and consistent.

Any leader, who has experienced sustained success would find it impossible to identify a single action, a master class, or a lucky break that helped them become what they are. There was no miracle moment. So, what separates the leaders of “Success” from the rest? I love the term, “Fanatic Discipline”. Harvard Business Review describes this as “incredible consistency with core values, goals, performance standards, and methods. Relentless, monomaniacal, and unbending in the focus on their quests, and incredibly consistent no matter what the conditions.”

These leaders are successful because of their unapologetic zealous attempts of doing the same small things intentionally and consistently.

Successful people do consistently what average people do occasionally. They build habits. They develop a strategy and they do it!

On days when it is easy, and especially on days it feels hard. When the words flow and it seems effortless, and on the days you feel stuck bored, or too tired. You have to make up your mind. “I don’t wanna!” is simply not an option.

Birthing Success

Any woman who has experienced pregnancy knows that there is a process to delivering a happy, healthy, full-term baby. It’s a process and a painful, uncomfortable one at that.

1st trimester: Tired all the time, experiencing morning sickness, and little to no energy throughout the day. Seemingly in a brain fog of some sort that won’t go away.
2nd Trimester: Feeling good, finally figuring it out (or so you think). Your energy has returned, and you are motivated. You are growing and you can see the fruit of the discomfort through ultrasounds and belly kicks.
3rd Trimester: Again, tired, sick, and tired of being sick and tired. You are Just ready to see and hold this baby (or so you think). Super Strength Baby Brain is fully present (if you know, you know). You feel OVER IT, DONE, FINISHED! But you aren’t finished because the baby isn’t ready YET…
BIRTH: 9 long months of ups and downs, hours, maybe days of labor pains begin, but you have to push! You can’t stop when it hurts. When you’re crowning. You have to push through that pain. And then FINALLY you meet the baby, the fruit of the hard work, tough times, pain, and exhaustion.

You have birthed a beautiful miracle!

This is exactly what happens with our dreams and visions for the future. There is no aborting the mission. You don’t get to pause pregnancy and start back whenever you are ready. You just GO and GROW. And it is worth it! Keep consistently growing your dreams. GO back and remember why you started. What you want to accomplish. What God wants to do in and through you. Ask God to renew your inspiration, energy, and focus so that you would be both intentional and consistent in those goals.

Practical Points

What changes can you make to consistently and intentionally work at the goals you have this year?
What obstacles do you face with being intentional and consistent?
What can you do now to overcome these?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

I thank you for the eyes to see me as successful. Father, I ask that you would give me a vision of what success looks like for me, in the way that you have created me, utilizing the gifts you have given me and with the purpose you have called me to fulfill. Lord, I surrender my plans, goals, and aspirations to you, and I ask that you would give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mind to accomplish what you have called me to. Lord, create in me a new heart and passion. Awaken goals that may have lied dormant for far too long. Now, help me discipline myself to wake up, stay up late, set aside distractions, remove myself from what you have not called me to, do whatever it takes, and count the cost of doing what it takes to be successful in YOUR eyes. I know that success does not equate to just money, status, and things. But success is the fulfillment of the call you have on my life. Holy Spirit, you are my helper and I need you in this today. Come into my life and give me the wisdom to make the changes necessary to be intentional and consistent. In Jesus’ mighty name, I pray, amen.

Suggested Reading: Luke 18:1-8; Joshua 6:1-20; 2 Kings 13:14-19