True Grit

Here is an article I wrote for our church paper a few years ago when I first got the sense we were in for a bumpy economic ride. It is somewhat of a preview of a future article which will be called Its time for the church to once again become the church.

There is a storm coming, and its’ going to be a whopper. The clouds are forming, and it has nothing to do with the weather. We are in tough times, and if you believe the experts, they are about to get tougher. For those less fortunate, less prepared, it will be a very bumpy ride. The rising costs of energy, food, health care and so on, have even the most well healed diving for cover and rethinking priorities. Most will cut back - unfortunately, giving is usually the first to go.

Churches in poverty zones deal with tough times even when times are good. Many of these churches are located at ground zero where the struggle for subsistence is a daily event. Poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and teenage pregnancy dwell in these areas and cultivate chronic hopelessness. However, many of these churches that battle daily with societal problems that come in bunches and groups, practice what now is a rare trait – grit.

Having grit means coming up with reasons for success, not excuses. Having grit means that failure is not be an option when it comes to helping the hurting. Having grit means running to, not from problems. Having grit means knowing when Mathew 25:40 convicts us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the homeless, we are being called to do so.

We know that tough times have been around since the beginning and will be around until Christ returns. We can’t change that – Jesus himself told us that the poor would be with us always. However, how we respond to the poor in these tough times is the test. The world will watch us. This is an opportunity for us as a congregation, as part of the Body, to really show our true grit. Today, in these tough times, we need to give more and do more to meet the call.

True grit means being the light on the hill for all to see; true grit means becoming increasing relevant in an irrelevant world; true grit means swimming against the tide and letting our faith and actions become one in the same. When the world tells us to do less, our faith tells us to do more. To find out more what true grit really means, we don’t have to look in the dictionary, we just need to listen to the Word.