GRITTY BEGINNINGS

Verse of the week: Galatians 6:9
‍“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Doing good will make you weary, and there will be moments where we feel like giving up. But there’s good news – if we continue to pursue the good things that God has called us to, we will see His impact. 

It’s safe to say we’ve all experienced weariness over the past few years during the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been moments where we’ve served faithfully, and moments when we’ve shied away. February’s message series, “True Grit,” teaches us the importance of grit.

Broadly defined, grit is the thing that pushes you forward in moments you want to give up, and God wants us to have it. He doesn’t always place us on the easy route (as much as we may be hoping for it). In fact, He wants us to live gritty lives. It’s because gritty situations help us develop a patient endurance – spiritual grit – so that in tough situations, we can fully rely on Jesus to get us through those “I don’t feel like it” moments.  

Here are three simple thoughts on the importance of God-given grit:

#1 – We need grit to start.
Have you ever sat down to work on a project, or write a paper (or a blog post…), and your mind just went blank? It can be a struggle for inspiration, you can be too hard on yourself, or easily distracted. Starting something new takes grit! But once you get past that initial hurtle, your brain gets in “the zone,” and work starts to flow. Living gritty is the same. It’s realizing that God’s got something new for you, and having the grit to push past the “I don’t feel like it” mentality.

Surrender takes grit.
Trust takes grit.
Generosity takes grit.

Where might you need some grit to try a new beginning today?

#2 – We need grit to continue.
Once we start on God’s path for our lives, there can still be moments where we question the direction He leads us in. Because living gritty lives is not easy. There will be moments we want to give up, where we need supernatural assistance from the Father. But through these struggles, God is with us every step of the way, leadings us to continue forward, and developing grit in us to tackle future obstacles. Through COVID shutdowns His church has continued. Through seasons of unemployment, He has provided. Through health issues, He has delivered miracles. God calls us to continue to trust Him, rely on Him, and to persevere.

What is God calling you to continue?

#3 – Grit leads us deeper into the presence of God.
‍With all of this talk about grit, it’s important to note that it isn’t the end goal. We don’t need grit for grit’s sake, we need grit that gives us the endurance to show up and be changed in the presence of God.

See, God-given grit is the device that keeps us focused on what God wants us to do by His Spirit. It keeps us going to take on those daily battles, and have the confidence to know that God has already won. Grit doesn’t have to result in these epic, extravagant moments. It can show up during the mundane – early mornings, conversations with co-workers, dinner time. What if we got gritty about our quiet life in 2022? Waking up and seeking Jesus. Sharing God’s word. Praying together.

It’s out of those simple, daily, gritty beginnings that we draw closer to Jesus and see those epic moments.  Grit gets us to the battle, but God alone wins the battle.

Make sure to check out the full message here!