Today there seems to be greater emphasis on the glamour of achievement than the grittiness of it.

 

Jamie Clark writes about the grit that's required in preparing to climb Mount Everest: 'In order to get yourself up for the climb, you spend several hours a day walking on a treadmill with a heavy back-pack. You look goofy, you smell. It's an ugly scene. That's always true.

 

The road to success is not pretty.' The winners in life know this and it doesn't alarm them. They understand the words of Peter, 'Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled...' And Paul adds: 'Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training...' (1Corinthians 9:25 NIV). Note the word 'strict.' If you're not strict with yourself you won't make it.

 

The prize is great, but the process can be grueling. Gratification and achievement are usually postponed for a long time. The disciplined person doesn't pursue ways that are likely to make him or her popular. It's only after the season of discipline is over and the payoff comes, that the world offers applause.

 

The runner, the wrestler, the swimmer all push their bodies to heightened levels of performance by demanding of themselves longer, faster, and stronger episodes of physical output. They don't stop simply because there's a feeling of fatigue or even pain. They understand that these are mental barriers that must be overcome. They insist that their bodies behave in accordance with their commitment, not their comfort level. And the same is true of the follower of Christ who responds to a call from heaven to undertake a great task.