I first came across the word "grit" after watching Angela Lee Duckworth on TED, and I instantly fell in love with the idea. The concept of grit strikes because of it's call to action: Work hard. In a world that wants everything served up on a silver platter, there is an urgent need for more grit.
But is grit a Christian virtue? Aren't we eliminating room for grace if all we do is work hard? That all depends on circumstances.
But one thing is for sure: Grace does not mean the absence of grit. In fact, grace should cause us to work hard.
We can make either one of two mistakes when it comes to grace and hard work. The first mistake is making hard work access to grace — legalism. But Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
The only way we receive life both in eternity and life here on earth is by God's grace, not our works.
On the other side of the spectrum is the complete opposite where grace becomes access to sin — licentiousness. To this Paul had this to say, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2)
Grace is not a product of hard work, but it is bound to compel us to work hard. Grace produces grit, but grit never produces grace. There is still a call to work and to work well and excellently.
Ephesians 2:10 tells us this: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
God's grace comes to reestablish God's good work in us so that we can carry out God's work through us by being His channel of grace to others as well.
But the work we do out of grace is no longer to buy God's time or attention, but now simply to glorify Him and express gratitude and grace for what He has done. Worship is a better motivation than survival. We can live off God's grace and He has given it freely, and as a result we work hard to honour Jesus, not twist His arm.
Grace and grit are not two opposing virtues. They are interrelated in that grit is a product of grace. Good works leads to grace, but grace never results from good works. We cannot and never will be able to earn the favour and grace of God.
One thing that grace does is it gives us all the reason to work harder, not because we are trying to earn something but because we act as a result of favour already earned through Christ.
