Grit: Getting it done

By Greyson Gilbert

“True grit is making a decision and standing by it, doing what must be done. No moral man can have peace of mind if he leaves undone what he knows he should have done.”
 -John Wayne (Rooster Cogburn, True Grit 1969)

Every one knows John Wayne. We gain a lot of inspiration from John Wayne, the iconic old western movie actor. The roles he played have a knack for showing up in some form throughout our writing. There might not be a John Wayne character who is more tough and gritty than Rooster Cogburn from True Grit. What he said above is truth. True grit is making a decision and standing by it.

 When you think of the word grit, you might also think of the crusty old guy who lives down the street. He worked on a farm his whole life, fought in World War II and Vietnam and now sits on his front porch every morning chewing on a cigar and drinking scotch. All that old man has ever known is grit, because he was forced into it. 

You don't have to work on a farm or join the military to have grit though. It starts with making the choice.

For me personally, True grit is simple, but not easy. It means getting the job done, whatever it is and whatever the challenges are. It means not giving up. Doing whatever you are tasked with, whatever you need to do, and whatever you SHOULD do is the epitome of true grit. Unfortunately for most people who don't enjoy hard things, it almost always means making the harder decision. It seems that more often than not, the harder path is the right one, whether it be at work, with your wife and kids, in the gym, or inside your own head. 

I find my own personal way to exercise such grit is through rigorous physical training. Some days though, getting to the gym is a battle won in itself. If I make the decision that I have to do something to push myself physically that day, then I have to stand by that decision. Whether I don't get to the gym until 10 p.m. after a busy day, or I only have time to do a 10 minute workout of burpees before bed, if I make that promise to myself, I have to stand by it. Get it done.

Although physical toughness and pushing your body are an avenue to choose grit over cowardliness, it's not about the physical aspects. It's a mental battle, and physical training is just one of the ways to exercise such grittiness.

 There are two opposing forces inside our own brains, one of them is feeding us lies, whispering to us to ignore our responsibilities and duties to ourself and others. It is darkness. The other is light. It is telling you to do what you have to do and to choose integrity. Get the job done and do it right. 

Chances are you have heard the following story but it is worth repeating:

Once upon a time, there was a Cherokee grandfather, who told his grandson, “Grandson, there are two wolves inside of me. One wolf is white, good and altruistic, generous and kind, and the other wolf is black, mean and greedy, violent and angry. The two wolves are in a constant fight within me.” The grandson, with wide eyes, says, “But which one will win, grandpa?” And the grandfather says, “The one which I feed.”

Our daily decisions feed the wolves, and we have to choose which wolf to feed.

I don't believe grit is something gifted to some and not to others. It is NOT genetic. It's one choice, and it's millions of choices. It's not just found in the largest ones, but also the innumerable little choices that we make every day. Are we going to wake up to our alarm or hit snooze? Are we going to take the time to take care of our bodies or not? Will we choose the fast food hamburger or a healthier option? Will we discipline our kids or let them grow up without knowledge of right and wrong, reward and punishment? Will we work to provide for our own families or selfishly choose to indulge our own desires? 

Will we wake up earlier so that we can begin our day in the Word and in the Spirit?

Luke 16: 10 says, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."

When I think about societies of old, ones we have often talked about right here on Boundless Company, all of them had one thing in common: life was hard and they were gritty peoples. They got the job done, because that was the only way they could survive. Nowadays, in our fast food  society, we no longer have to fight for survival. I think that humans lost a large part of who we were created to be when such comfort and security took hold of modern America. We have become soft, comfortable, and complacent. Having recognized that, I also believe that there is no better time than now to choose to reject that very sense of entitlement. 

God is not a God of ease and comfort. He is a God of Love, but also a God of Justice and, yes I'll say it, a God of Grit. Jesus suffered on earth. He made a choice to hold on to righteousness in the face of immense pain and adversity, for us. He tells us many times throughout his word that our lives will not be easy, but it is worth it.

“The way is hard that leads to life.” (Matthew 7:14)

“By your endurance you will gain your lives.” (Luke 21:19)

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

A large part of who we are here at Boundless Company is characterized by grit. It goes hand in hand with the embrace of discipline and adversity. No, we're not perfect, and nobody is. The embrace is challenging. Having grit is not the easier choice when we are faced with decisions or undesirable circumstances. Getting the job done can be a difficult task and we all fail at it sometimes. I believe, though, that the difference between being average and having true grit is getting back up and getting after it again.

This grit that we are called to choose is not without hope or promise from God. It is not for an empty purpose or in vain, but God tells us that choosing steadfastness in this life will reap a reward in both this life and the next.

"But the one who endures to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:13)

 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2–4)

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

And when we pass from this world into His Kingdom, 

 "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'” (Revelation 21:4-5)

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us". (Romans 8:18)