Waking up early is a habit of winners. I was personally challenged by a young woman—married, with a professional career and three young children. In a training group on WhatsApp, she shared with us that she wakes up every morning at 4 a.m. She starts her day with dynamic moments of communion with God to secure the blessings of the dawn.

She then attends to her activities and tasks, getting ahead of many who are still asleep, thus gaining extra hours of productivity. In His goodness and justice, God has given each human being 24 hours a day, which we must use wisely during our time on earth.

Let’s remember that we have only one life, and we must make the most of it. The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31—a model to which every Christian woman should aspire—also had this habit. Verse 15 of that Proverb states, “She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and portions for her female servants.”

King David rose before dawn to pray. Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God, did the same. I also recall that during my school and university years, my favorite time to study for exams was between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.

There are countless examples of great religious, political, and scientific figures who wake up early to take control of their lives. The goal is not to be passive in life but to play our role on earth. For greater effectiveness, depending on our activities, we should make use of the early hours of the day when calm prevails, inspiration flows, children are still asleep, and distractions are minimal.

Does this habit seem difficult to acquire? Oh, not at all! Let’s take the example of a child learning to walk. Do the numerous falls, however painful, stop them from trying again? NO. Until one day, to our great surprise and under the admiring gaze of the entire family, the baby, wrapped in a diaper, starts running.

The same process applies to any learning—NEVER GIVE UP until the day our body adopts the habit as second nature…

This text is an excerpt from the book “Letter FROM AN ELDER: Practical advice to a young girl for a successful adult life“ written by Syntyche IHINDI.

We invite you to read the following article, “WORKING ON YOUR CHARACTER.”

WAKING UP EARLY