I was praying for someone today and the thing the Lord laid on my heart to pray for this person was for "grit". That's not a term you'll find anywhere in the Bible; it's not listed in the fruit of the Spirit ("love, joy, peace, patience, grit"???). But I wonder if you put the things on that list together, if you don't really have grit, too.
My big dictionary* defines grit as "firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck". Indomitable means something that cannot be subdued or overcome, cannot be "tamed". Amy Carmichael calls it "that in us which sets the firmer the harder things are. It is the reinforced concrete of character." People who have grit don't give up, don't whine and complain, don't wallow in self-pity. No matter what the difficulty, they hang on to the truth that they know and keep going.
Just like muscles, grit doesn't develop in a vacuum. It is only shown in the face of opposition and difficulty. There are many examples of grit in Scripture but the verses which come to my mind first are in Daniel (talk about a man with grit!). His friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego said to King Nebuchadnezzar "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire...but even if He does not, we are not going to serve your gods." (3:7,8) How's that for grit?! Later in the same book, in his prophecies of the end times Daniel says that many will be turned to godlessness "but the people who know their God will display strength and take action." People who know God have grit. They go from strength to strength. It is a worthy thing to pray for but it only comes through difficulties. The person I'm praying for is already enrolled in Grit 101 - I hope they pass the class.
*Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language
1 comment:
even if it wasn't me that you were praying for... this was a really good thought. I could stand to develop grit and thick skin. Good post! I love the way you bring scripture, quotes and thoughts together :).
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