Meet the Grinder

"Maybe sometimes I'm such a thinker, I reevaluate too much. Sometimes when it comes down to it, I really don't need to do anything, I don't really need to change anything. I need to just keep plugging away, working at it." Michael Chang 

 

I ran across this quote last Friday and it really fits Michael Chang.  He was a professional tennis player, but he wasn't tall, wasn't strong and didn't have a booming serve.  He won points by having solid ground strokes and running down every ball that came across the net.  He is also a dedicated follower of Christ, which is even more reason to like him.

But I needed to hear that quote on Friday because my day was a grind.  There was very little joy to it and every thing seemed to go wrong or slow.  The day started by taking my truck to the shop only to find out it had blown a head gasket.  They would have to keep it in the shop and it would cost around $1,000, which I don't have lying around.  I thought they were just going to have to change the water pump, but that hope died when I saw the mix of oil and water.  I had put my bike in the back of the truck, so I peddled to back to work.  At work, instead of being able to focus on what I needed, I had to divert energy for another project.  I will put this as nicely as possible:  This project was a project I was asked to do and involved other churches.  Several of those churches had not done what they were supposed to do and others were changing at the last minute.  So most of my work day was spent on this project which should have taken only thirty minutes had churches done what they said they would do.  Finally, I was ready to go home, which meant another bike ride.  The peddle home is usually much more enjoyable because there are more hills to go down than up and the uphills are very slow grades.  I notice that the air in my tires are low, which will slow me down.  Then as I get on the bike, I begin to ride into a stiff head wind, which was in my face the entire trip back.  It was just a grind.  There was no fun to it.  Just grinding away to get it done.  There were other things that happened during that Friday which added to the grind, but you get my drift.

Have you ever had days that were just a grind.  You kept going because you needed to keep going, not because you were having fun?  Had all things been equal, you would have quit.  But you kept going for whatever reason.  When the day finally ended, you were exhausted and ready to go to bed know that whatever happened tomorrow would not compare to what happened to today.

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but often our walk with Christ is a grind.  Following Jesus seems to add to our responsibility or the demand for excellence.  We bought into the notion that if we gave our lives to Jesus, everything would be much better and easier.  We didn't know that He would bring difficulties into our lives or convict us of sin so we could be more like Jesus.  These troubles usually come in sets and appear to be waiting for just the right moment to pounce on us.  All of a sudden, everything seems to be hindering our faith or pulling us away from Jesus.  Life becomes a grind.  Making the time in the morning to be alone with God...a grind.  Keeping focused on prayer throughout the day...a grind.  Living a life of integrity...a grind.  Giving to others who only want to take...a grind.  Even spending time with our family...a grind.

 

Don't feel bad if you are in the grind, because that appears to be the model for our faith.  Think about Abraham, leaving his family and going on a journey so a land that God had not pinpointed for him...a grind.  Dealing with his wayward nephew, Lot...a grind.  Receiving a promise from God but not having a child to inherit the promise...a grind.  How about Moses?  Forty years on the back side of the desert tending sheep..a grind.  Facing Pharaoh ten times in a row...a grind.  Leading the Hebrews in the wilderness for forty years...a grind.  Then he didn't even get to enter the Promised Land.  The prophets sharing God's message with God's people who didn't want to hear it...a grind.  Jesus spending three years training twelve guys who just didn't get it...a grind.  Jesus going to the cross even though He had done nothing wrong..a grind.  The Apostles trying to teach the church while having to go to prison...a grind.  Paul going all over the world telling others about Jesus and being beaten, stoned, hated and rejected...a grind.

                                             

I have come to the conclusion that God loves grinders.  He rarely calls the incredibly talented and gifted because it is too easy to them to rely on themselves.  He calls those who are grinders.  The ones who will keep going even when there is difficulty and opposition.  He wants men and women who are in it for the long haul.  He wants those who are going to keep plugging along, even though they are discouraged or frustrated or confused by what is happening.  He wants grinders.  Read the Bible through the lens of a grinder and you will see how God always calls the grinders, rarely the flash in the pan kind of guys.  Folks with all the skill and talent often end up like Samson or King Saul.  Folks who have little talent but a heart for the Lord end up impacting eternity like King David or Zaccheus.  Think about the men Jesus called as His first disciples.  The only one with any natural talent was Judas and look what happened to him.  His first four Apostles were fishermen - Men who knew what it was like to fish all day, catch nothing and then get up the next morning to do it again.  Grinders.  The greatest complement paid to the Apostles is in Acts 4:13,' When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."  The people were amazed by these grinders and the only common thread was that they had been with Jesus.

                                                              

Please understand, our culture favors the sprinters rather than the grinders.  We worship celebrities who have done little more than sing, dance, act, hit or throw a ball.  If I were to ask you who is the best quarterback in the NFL today, most people in American would mention Peyton Manning, Drew Bress or Tom Brady.  It would be easy to have that conversation.  BUT if I were to ask, who is the best offensive lineman in the NFL, only the dedicated fans would be able to have a conversation and knowledge of that position.  But without good offensive linemen, the greatest quarterback is only a tackling dummy for the defense.  How about this:  Who won the 100 meters dash in the last Olympics?  Most people would know it was Usain Bolt.  But if I asked who won the marathon, very few people would be able to name Stephen Kiprotic.  I had to look up the winner because I had no idea.  We value the sprinters, not the marathoners.  We value the flash and dash, not the diligent and hard worker.  One of the reasons America is in such difficult financial straits is because Congress authorized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to make loans to people who would never be able to pay those loans back.  Many people bought homes they could not afford.  Rather than buying a small home, gaining equity then buying a larger home, young couples decided to buy the home they would like twenty years down the line.  Our country has a $17 trillion deficit because people want the government to take care of their needs and willingly take the "freebies" being offered.  So don't follow the leading of culture.  If you do, your marriage will end in divorce, your kids will be estranged from you and you will float from job to job.

      

 

Being a grinder doesn't always insure a "happy" ending.  My truck is still in the shop and will still take $1,000 to be repaired.  That's going to set up back financially a little bit.  I still had to ride my bike to work today, going up two major hills.  I am still trying to get those churches to step up and do what they said they would do.  I'm having to bum rides off people because we only have one vehicle.  I have other work that needs to get done and need to have a 20 hour work day to get it all done.  So I'm still grinding.  Don't buy into the lie that if you grind for a little while, everything will work out perfectly.  You may be grinding for a looooong time!

God is looking for grinders because, in the end, the grinders impact eternity.  The sprinters come and go, but the grinders can be counted on to stand firm when others fall.  So if you are grinding today, let me encourage you to keep grinding.  In the end, it will always be worth it.