What happens when you combine trust, faith, and hope? They produce grit.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, grit in the context of behavior is defined as “firmness of character; indomitable spirit.”
In light of the recent deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and five Dallas Police Officers, I decided to tweak this definition to be the ability to keep going despite setbacks, even when your efforts are not rewarded. Grit is what you need when facing dark days and sleepless nights.
[shareable]Grit is the ability to keep going despite setbacks even when your efforts aren’t rewarded.[/shareable]
Dark Days and Sleepless Nights
We live in troubling times. Prices are rising while incomes are falling. We’re hearing endless reports of senseless violence, natural catastrophes, and uncertainty in what the future holds. It doesn’t matter which news feed you prefer, there is little to hope for the future.
Be encouraged because God is never caught off guard or by surprise. He knows the future. You are not the only one that has faced dark days and sleepless nights. Even Bible heroes had their times when they wanted to give up.
While we are not promised a life without dark days and sleepless nights, we are promised a God who wants to walk beside us during those dark days and sleepless nights. Joseph’s story teaches us how trust, faith, and hope produces grit.
What We Can Learn From Joseph
Joseph was sold into Egyptian slavery by his brothers. Though he had earned his master’s trust and was allowed to work freely in the house, the lies of a woman thrust Joseph into prison. God gave Joseph the ability to discern dreams while he was unjustly serving his time.
When Joseph was released from prison it was to take an elevated position in the government. Joseph knew the region would go through a devastating drought. He made preparations to help save the people. In doing so he was able to rescue his brothers who had treated him so badly.
Joseph trusted in the promises of God even though he couldn’t trace the presence of God. He knew that God had a plan for his life. Joseph endured the difficulties because of his faith in God’s Word.
[shareable]Joseph trusted in the promises of God even though he couldn’t trace the presence of God.[/shareable]
What to do When Facing Dark Days and Sleepless Nights
Joseph’s godly and gritty mindset carried him through his dark days and sleepless nights. He had been mistreated by his own family, as well as by others whom he had not wronged. He spent the better part of his twenties in an Egyptian dungeon, separated from his father, not knowing if he would ever see him again.
Yet in spite of all these trials, he could say to his brothers,
You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good (Gen. 50:20).
It’s as if Joseph’s saying:
I know you meant evil when you threw me in the pit and sold me into slavery, but it was all part of God’s plan to get me to Egypt to save your lives.
Joseph’s trust in God carried him through his dark days and sleepless nights with a joyful spirit, free from bitterness and complaining. That same gritty mindset will help us when we go through our dark days and sleepless nights.
The next time you face dark days and sleepless nights, remind yourself: Whatever happens today, God is at work.
Do you agree or disagree?
[shareable]Grit says: Whatever happens today, God is at work.[/shareable]
