“Conviction and Convenience do not live in the same zip code.” Lisa Nichols
I want to shout Amen! and Ugh! all at the same time.
Conviction: A deeply held, unwavering belief or opinion that a person is certain of and unlikely to change.
Convenience: The quality of being easy, useful or suitable, often saving time, energy or effort. It makes life more comfortable or simplifies tasks.
I LOVE me some convenience. My biggest convenience temptations is eating out. At the end of a long workday, the last thing I want to do is cook a meal for my husband, four kids and myself. It’s not that I don’t like cooking, and it’s not that I don’t like my family – but honestly, I don’t love cooking FOR my family!! With six people, some who are picky eaters, some lactose intolerant, some trying to focus on protein intake, some that only eat meat and some that are focused on the budget – it’s a lot of needs and opinions to contend with.
But here’s the thing – there are consequences to living with convenience as a primary goal. With my example of eating out – it’s expensive and not as healthy. I can’t control the contents of the food, how it is prepped or even the cleanliness of the kitchen or the chef.
Compare eating with a focus on convenience vs a focus on conviction. I have friends who rarely eat out because they focus on clean, healthy, fresh ingredients. They seldom, if ever, buy processed items. They make their own breads, spice blends and cook from scratch. They live with a conviction about they are putting in their bodies.
I do not. More often than not, I lean toward convenience.
But what other areas of my life am I living for convenience rather than conviction? Are there any areas of my life that conviction rules? that unwavering belief, and no matter how convenient a different choice would be, I won’t budge?
Take some time to do an audit today and examine if you are focused more on convenience or conviction in these areas of your life and decide if that’s okay. Remember, there are different seasons in life, so right now, although it sounds beautiful to cook everything from scratch, convenience is important for me. Don’t feel shame or judge yourself too harshly, but with grace decide where you land and where you want to land.
Areas to Audit: Conviction vs. Convenience
- Faith & Spiritual Life – Are you showing up consistently, or only when it’s easy?
- Health & Nutrition – Are your food choices driven by what you believe, or what’s nearby?
- Finances & Spending – Are you budgeting with intention, or swiping on impulse?
- Marriage & Relationships – Are you investing in depth, or settling for surface-level connection?
- Parenting – Are you present and purposeful, or distracted and just getting through the day?
- Career & Purpose – Are you pursuing what you’re called to, or what’s comfortable and safe?
- Fitness & Movement – Are you committed to your body, or skipping when life gets busy?
- Mental & Emotional Health – Are you doing the hard inner work, or avoiding it?
- Community & Friendships – Are you intentionally investing in people, or only when it’s convenient for you?
- Personal Growth & Learning – Are you stretching yourself, or staying in your comfort zone?