Needed: A Hefty New Supply of True Grit

Years ago, not long after a friend of mine had relocated to the South, he went to a local restaurant for breakfast. “Would you like some grits?” the server asked him. A bit puzzled, my friend responded, “I’ve never had grits, so I don’t know if I’d like them. Could I just have one grit?”

 

Suffice it to say, this wasn’t a fellow who had experienced a gritty lifestyle. At least in the Southern sense of the word. But there’s a vast difference between grits and grit. These days it seems grits are in much greater supply than grit.

 

One of the classic western films, at least for John Wayne fans, was the original “True Grit,” released in 1969, about a rough-and-tumble U.S. marshal named Rooster Cogburn and a determined orphan girl, Mattie Ross, who wants Cogburn’s help in apprehending her father’s killer. Over the course of the film, both Cogburn and Mattie display an amazing amount of “true grit” in overcoming many difficulties.

 

What is grit, anyway – and why do we need it? One dictionary says grit is “firmness of character, indomitable spirit; pluck.” Wikipedia defines it as “…an individual’s perseverance of effort combined with the passion for a particular long-term goal or end state…the overcoming of obstacles or challenges that lie on the path to accomplishment.” 

When we think of individuals who have made the greatest contributions to our world, whether through invention and innovation, leadership, or other forms of exceptional achievement, the presence of grit has typically been prominent in their lives.

 

Recently I saw the film “Greater,” about Brandon Burlsworth, a former walk-on whose grit and determination resulted in his becoming a three-year starter and All-American for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team. Although he died in a car crash just days after being drafted by the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, Burlsworth’s life remains a source of inspiration to this day.

 

Grit has been a singular American trait throughout its history, but judging from what we see in some segments of our society, it has become conspicuously absent. College students fleeing to “safe zones” to avoid being confronted with ideas that don’t align with their own. People expecting handouts rather than expending the necessary effort to get what they want. Individuals consistently playing the “victim card,” refusing to accept responsibility for their own actions.

 

Who’s to blame for this? Speaker and leadership coach Brian Kight points to adults failing to teach and model gritty qualities for younger people. He says, “Want ‘grittier’ kids? Show them grit. Show it to them in all your actions. They’re watching you. Teachers expect grit from students, but then complain about changes from the school district. Coaches expect grit from players, but then complain about refs calls. Parents want grit from kids, but then complain about taxes, traffic, and their boss. If grit is so powerful, prove it.”

 

We can’t find the word “grit” in the Scriptures, but its qualities are expressed in many ways. The apostle Paul probably had grit in mind when he wrote, “…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope” (Romans 5:2-3). Having experienced more than his share of adversity, Paul knew about this firsthand.

 

James 1:2-4 offers similar sentiments: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” 

 

There’s a tendency for us to choose paths of least resistance, the easy way that demands minimal effort and sacrifice. But that’s not the option for followers of Christ. Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). The so-called “Christian life” is one of grit, perseverance and sacrifice.

 

As Kight observed, if we expect our children and even younger people we influence to develop these traits, the onus is upon us to demonstrate them in action. This is why Paul the apostle boldly declared, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice” (Philippians 4:9). The disclaimer, “Do as I say, not as I do,” had no place in his lifestyle.

 

A tree develops its hardest wood during times of adversity that require grit. A moth emerges from a cocoon prepared to fly through grit. And achievements are most satisfying not when they’re handed to us, like participation trophies in youth sports, but when they have been attained via the proverbial blood, sweat and tears. The sooner we learn that – and in turn, teach it to others – the better.

Achieving Success – in 3-D

The recently completed Winter Olympics provided inspiration from athletes who had overcome great obstacles and adversities. Our hearts warmed to see competitors from around the world, representing diverse cultures and speaking unfamiliar languages, united in a spirit of sportsmanship. But most of all, we reveled in victory, the successes of men and women who proved to be the very best at what they do, whether it was skiing, figure skating, speed skating, halfpipe, hockey, bobsledding, ski jumping or curling.

I even conceived a new motto: “You win some, you luge some.” Every victory demonstrated what we could call “the 3 D’s of Success: Diligence, Determination, and Discipline.”

Top athletes start with inherent assets – speed, size, “fast-twitch” muscles, natural ability. Things you can’t teach. But lots of people have those, yet never excel. What separates the winners from the losers – and the “never-even-tried” – are the three D’s.

They weren’t “weekend warriors,” engaging in their sport once a week. They were diligent to work, train and practice every day, often as many hours (or more) as we spend at work. They set goals, ultimately Olympic gold, and were determined not to let anything deter them for achieving them. And they were disciplined, forgoing many things that could sidetrack them from their mission, following rigorous, daily regimens to prepare them for competing with the world’s best.

Most of us will never be Olympians. But wouldn’t it be great if we could become “gold medal winners” as followers of Jesus Christ and His ambassadors? Those same three D’s can play an important role in fulfilling that desire, as the Scriptures tell us.

Followers of Jesus also have a built-in asset: the indwelling Holy Spirit. Colossians 1:27 says each of us has, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” We’re also told, “…it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20). We’re not called to live the so-called Christian life in our own strength. We have the power of Jesus Christ in us.

But this doesn’t release us from the responsibility of pursuing spiritual growth and maturity, to become true, fruitful disciples of Jesus. We should cultivate the same three D’s of diligence, determination and discipline that serve championship athletes so well. We see these traits emphasized throughout the Scriptures; here are a few examples we can draw from the apostle Paul:

Writing to Timothy, his young protégé, Paul urged him to dedicate himself to mastering the Word of God: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Paul also instructed Timothy to focus on developing his spiritual gifts: “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:15).

Elsewhere, Paul expressed the singular focus he embraced for his own life: “For my determined purpose is that I may know (Jesus Christ) – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding [the wonders of His person] more strongly and more clearly…” (Philippians 3:10, Amplified).

Speaking of his resolve to finish well in his life and service to God, Paul told believers in the city of Corinth, “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Paul summed it up when he exhorted Timothy, “…discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8). Nothing wrong with striving for physical fitness and excellence, but spiritual excellence is far better.

We might never step onto a podium on an Olympic stage, but if we pursue the virtues of diligence, determination and discipline, we can experience spiritual success, leading to much gratitude to God, “who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14).