My dad works in the oil field. He tries to get as much work done as possible before the sun comes up, because in Texas, when the sun comes up, the world turns to molten lava.
I sit in a chair all day, drinking coffee and typing. Or talking to people and attending meetings. I lead leaders and try to push forward a movement, all the while having no movement. Every evening my FitBit indicts me.
I’ve been in Texas for the past couple days and I’m already reminded of something that may be the most helpful tool to have in your ministry tool box. And it’s not vision casting, strategic planning, leadership leading, prophetic preaching, or financial forecasting. The secret to ministry success is: the ability to have passion and perseverance over the long haul, aka GRIT.
Grit is unrelenting long term tenacity. Gritty people play hurt, they don’t whimper, they don’t waver, ever. They believe they can overcome whatever obstacle comes their way.
Grit is the ability to will yourself through hardship towards holiness. It looks at mountains and says this is gonna take a while, but I won’t quit.
Grit is overcoming physical challenges when you could chose to opt-out.
THE ARCH ENEMY OF GRIT IS EASE.
So, the hard part is, the way you fight back against ease is through intentionally choosing difficulty - putting yourself in hard situations on purpose.
GRIT DEVELOPMENT DEMANDS DIFFICULTY.
As leaders, we must show grit because that is the way to create in our organizations an appetite for grit. Our teams need to know that we are willing to do whatever it takes to get the mission accomplished. And we won’t choose the easy way when it’s not the right way.
Yesterday we removed the bed off a 02' Chevy pick up then changed the fuel pump. We installed and ran new electrical to a garbage disposal, cleaned and organized a three-car garage, and switched out an old washing machine for a new one.
I was so tired and so dirty at the end of it. I smelled terrible. My clothes were ruined, my hands were beat up and gross. But I grew in grit. Because every one of those jobs was hard. Frustrating and hard. They took brainstorming and problem-solving and sweat and work. Backbreaking work. I was bleeding by the end and this morning I’m sore. But again, grit increased.
I think grit can be developed, but it takes us choosing and chasing the hard things. We must be willing to stay under the truck and keep pulling on that bolt even when you think God Himself must have tightened it.
So.... For grit to increase, we must:
Willingly expose ourselves to difficulty.
Intentionally choose to do hard jobs.
The success of your ministry has to do with your ability to remain passionate while persevering over the long haul. Don’t burn out. Don’t quit on us. We need you to last. And grit equals lasting.
And if it means once a week you need to go out and do something dirty, difficult, and demanding, then do it, for the sake of the church and your endurance, do it.
Want to find out how gritty you are?
Take the grit assessment test by clicking HERE