How much of our adversity is caused by ourselves?
Honestly—most of it.
I’ve heard it said that 5% of life is what happens to us, and 95% is how we respond. I’d go even further: much of our pain is self-inflicted. Not always intentionally, but inevitably—through our choices, and just as often, our non-choices.
Avoid a little inconvenience now, and you’ll pay for it later.
Overshare a situation or speak loosely about someone, and it will come back around.
Need to be right all the time? That’s a reliable path to hardship.
Choose comfort when discipline is required? Maybe nothing happens today—but the bill always comes due.
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”
— Galatians 6:7
The longer we avoid the right decision, the longer the fuse becomes. And when it finally reaches the end, the explosion is bigger than it ever needed to be. Call it consequences, call it karma—either way, it rarely arrives gently.
What I’ve learned through practicing awareness is this: real change is usually small. Quiet. Unimpressive. I don’t overcommit anymore to things I’ll eventually resent and abandon. Instead, I focus on small, often unseen improvements—choices that don’t feel dramatic but move me forward nonetheless.
“Whoever is faithful in little is faithful also in much.”
— Luke 16:10
So ask yourself:
What am I choosing today—or choosing not to choose—that keeps me from being better?
What small improvement can I institute right now to help me move forward?
Even if the step looks infinitesimal to the human eye, it’s still progress. And progress compounds.
Those efforts matter.
God sees them. He nods and says, That’s it. I knew you had it in you.
The righteous path is narrow—not because it’s impossible, but because it requires intention. One step today. One step tomorrow.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction… but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life.”
— Matthew 7:13–14
Sometimes faith isn’t about feeling good.
It’s about choosing what’s right anyway.
Prayer
Lord,
Give me the awareness to see where I create my own trouble,
and the humility to choose better—one small step at a time.
Help me resist comfort when discipline is needed,
and grant me the courage to walk the narrow path, even when progress feels slow.
I trust that You see my effort and guide my steps.
Amen.
