For a long time, my mornings began with negotiation. The alarm would go off, and I’d bargain with myself for a few more minutes of sleep. I’d justify it. Just five more minutes. I’ll still have enough time.
But when I finally got up, the tone was already set. I was behind. Moving faster than I wanted to. Jumping straight into responsibility without being grounded first. The morning felt rushed, reactive, and tight. And underneath it all was disappointment that I hadn’t followed through on what I said I would do.
Eventually, I made a rule for myself. No snooze button. Ever.
When we wake up to our alarm, we follow through on a commitment we’ve already made to ourselves. That simple follow-through places us in a posture of faithfulness before the day even begins.
There’s a double win in this.
First, we keep our word to ourselves. Beginning the day with that kind of integrity builds quiet confidence. It shapes how we move, how we speak, how we follow through, and how we respond—before our feet even hit the floor.
That confidence carries forward. We’re more likely to follow through on the workout we planned. Or send the email we said we would. One act of follow-through makes the next one easier.
Second, we receive the time we intentionally set aside. We chose that wake-up time because we know how much margin we need. Getting up when the alarm goes off gives us space to settle, to orient ourselves, and to meet with God before the noise, needs, and decisions begin.
That margin doesn’t stay contained. It spreads. A steadier start shows up in our tone. In our patience. In the way we respond instead of react.
When we wake up without hitting snooze, the day begins with both integrity and margin. We follow through on the commitment we made to ourselves, and we give ourselves the time we need. We start the day aligned, prepared, and steady.
That’s the first act of faithfulness.