GRIT – Becki Baxter
Have you ever chosen a “word of the year”? Often it’s something personal from God and prayed over with great anticipation. I’ve never really been someone who does this – until this year. Still reeling from 2020, the hope for a redemptive 2021 was strong, so I prayed for a word.
But instead of a fun hopeful word like, opportunity or adventure, all I could hear was the word, grit. What does that even mean?
Grit.
Looking into it further, I found that grit’s actual meaning is having courage, resolve, and strength of character. It’s not giving up when things get hard, but fighting to keep going!
If anyone from the Bible knows grit, it’s Paul. That guy endured shipwrecks, floggings, imprisonments and more – all for the sake of the gospel! And yet, he says that we are to count it a joy when we face trials because it will ultimately lead us to a stronger character and spiritual maturity. (James 1:2-4 & Romans 5:3-5)
I think pressure is part of God’s plan. He doesn’t promise a pain-free life, but prepares us for it so that we would be refined by it. In fact, we can find joy in our hardships because we are rarely closer to God than in a moment of complete dependence on Him.
Well, it would only take until January 3rd before I wanted to quit a lot of things that I knew God was calling me to. Thankfully, He knew this would happen and he gave me a word that would be just enough to keep me going. And since then there have been many more moments just like this. When the clear path I’m on suddenly becomes foggy – my confidence and enthusiasm become weary and the haunting sounds of doubt make me want to curl up and quit. Sound familiar?
Friends, we all need a little bit of grit and a whole lot of Jesus so that we will be prepared to face whatever comes our way. We know He will work it all out, but we need to keep showing up and remember that good things are worth fighting for. He will take care of the rest!