The biggest problem in dealing with ourselves is that it’s very painful. To become the person we want to be, we have to do difficult and uncomfortable things. The journey to losing weight, the journey to becoming more loving, or the journey to becoming more generous will be painful. The discomfort of self-discipline is inherent as we commit to doing the things that ultimately make our lives better. I firmly believe that when we ask God to solve our problems, He responds, “How about we solve you first?” And He says this because He loves us! I know you’ve heard me say a million times that “Life gets better when you get better.” The more you grow, the more your life grows. The bigger you get, the bigger your destiny becomes. Your existence becomes richer when you become richer on the inside.

Friend, there is laid before you the will to life and the will to death. Pushing yourself, going for it, and pressing through, even if it hurts, is a testament to your will to live. A will to death and a will to fail can be fulfilled when you give up, give in, let go, or procrastinate. Deuteronomy 30:15 says, “I put before you life and death.” Choose life! That is the choice you face every day, not just the choice to follow Christ, but to do small things with great love and persistence. Don’t give in, but be willing to push through. God wants to make you into something greater than you are today, but He’ll work on changing you before He intervenes in your circumstances.