{"id":39453,"date":"2024-11-12T00:34:36","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T08:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=39453"},"modified":"2024-11-12T04:48:10","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T12:48:10","slug":"you-showed-up-no-you-shut-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/you-showed-up-no-you-shut-up\/","title":{"rendered":"You showed up \u2013no- you shut up!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Jesus is GRIT! Not only does this book define the Christian life, but it perfectly summarises Jesus. Before discussing Jesus, I will highlight the central premise of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance<\/em>, [1]<\/a> before drawing an analogy with a movie, Jesus and my family.<\/p>\n

Angela Duckworth’s work on grit is absorbing and, in my estimation, accurate. She explores the idea that success is less about talent and more about grit, a combination of passion and sustained persistence which, over time, ultimately begins with the ability to keep \u201cshowing up,\u201d[2]<\/a> no matter the circumstance. The book challenges the assumption that innate ability, intelligence, or luck are the primary drivers of achievement, suggesting that grit plays a more significant role in determining long-term success. The central premise of the book is that anyone can cultivate grit. Drawing from her experiences as a teacher, psychologist, and researcher, Duckworth explains that the most successful individuals in fields like education, business, sports, and the arts are not necessarily the most naturally gifted. Instead, they are the ones who show the most grit, continuously pursuing their goals despite challenges and setbacks. This realisation led the author to conclude that grit is a stronger predictor of success than intelligence or talent. Using the research of Carol Dweck,[3]<\/a> Duckworth says that individuals with a growth mindset are more likely to exhibit grit because they believe in the power of improvement through effort.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

While critics of the GRIT may say it overemphasises perseverance, oversimplifies complex success factors and neglects socioeconomic and structural influences, there is overwhelming support for the content. Daniel H. Pink\u2019s Drive[5]<\/a> stresses intrinsic motivation, highlighting autonomy, mastery, and purpose as essential for sustaining passion, concepts that complement the idea of grit. Similarly, Daniel Coyle\u2019s The Talent Code[6]<\/a> illustrates how talent is developed through practice and resilience. When considered alongside James Clear\u2019s Atomic Habits[7]<\/a> or Malcolm Gladwell\u2019s Outliers,[8]<\/a> these works together build a comprehensive framework that reinforces Duckworth\u2019s insights on grit.<\/p>\n

Sophia\u2019s family is from Chile, and they moved to Australia just a month before she was born. My parents are from the valleys of South Wales in the UK. I was born in Manchester, England, and when I was two, my family emigrated to Australia. Sophia and I got married in December 1995, and in April 1996, we relocated to England to start our ministry life together. Around that time, the movie Fools Rush In<\/em>[9]<\/a>, <\/em>starring Salma Hayek and the late Matthew Perry, came out. If there was ever a film that mirrored our marriage journey, it was this one\u2014a story about a Latin girl and a Western boy coming together. We laughed until it hurt and have watched it countless times since. There\u2019s a memorable scene where Perry\u2019s character says to his Latin wife, \u201cYou showed up,\u201d but she mishears and shouts back, \u201cYou shut up,\u201d in her accent. He patiently clarifies, \u201cNo, I said \u2018you showed up.\u2019\u201d That line has always stayed with me, reminding me of the simple yet profound power of just \u201cshowing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

The gospel is news like no other. It is about God who showed up. In essence, God was always showing up in the Old Testament scriptures. Still, the birth of the Messiah and subsequent sending of the Holy Spirit was about God showing up, not intermittently, but continually. The Incarnation is undoubtedly the most compelling moment in time. God showed up!<\/p>\n

One of the bible verses about Jesus that has always had a profound impact on my life is Luke 9:51. \u201cTurning his face towards Jerusalem, Jesus set his face like a flint.\u201d If ever there was a verse to define grit in a person, this is it. Jesus knew that from this moment, every step was taking him closer to Jerusalem and the impending crucifixion. Some translations of Luke 9:51 say, \u201cJesus steeled himself.\u201d What can this mean other than grit? He needed grit to knowingly and willingly walk to Golgotha.<\/p>\n

Duckworth breaks down the concept of grit into two core components: passion and perseverance. Firstly, passion is a deep, enduring interest in a goal or subject over the long term.[10]<\/a> It is not a fleeting enthusiasm but a consistent and focused interest that fuels perseverance. Is this not what Jesus did in coming to save us? The Bible says, \u201cJesus who for the joy set before Him endured the cross\u201d (Hebrews 12:2). His joy for us and eternal life He would win for us took Him to the cross.<\/p>\n

Secondly,<\/strong> perseverance is the ability to keep pushing forward despite setbacks, obstacles, or failures. It involves staying focused, disciplined, and determined to continue working toward goals, even when faced with challenges. This perfectly summarises everything between Luke 9:51 and the resurrection in Luke 24. Indeed, Duckworth reminds us that passion, in Latin, is Pati<\/em>, meaning to \u201csuffer.\u201d[11]<\/a> Jesus had grit.<\/p>\n

In The Apostle Paul\u2019s encouragement for us to \u201cbe like Christ\u201d (Philippians 2:5) and in keeping with Duckworth\u2019s book, the author suggests that we can all grow in Grit, both from the Inside Out[12]<\/a> and the Outside in.[13]<\/a> Indeed, the book is a formidable reminder that to be like Jesus is to emulate grit, a challenge for many in a Western context, but aptly describes Christian brothers and sisters who are persecuted in the world today.[14]<\/a><\/p>\n

I have been blessed with wonderful parents and a mother-in-law. In Bible seminary nearly 30 years ago, I worked a job cleaning floors in a supermarket from 2 am to 5 am every day. In fact, for three years, I lived on 3-4 hours of sleep a night, apart from Saturdays when I would sleep long. One day, my dad sneaked into my seminary room at 3 a.m. (while I was working to pay my fees) and wrote, \u201cKeep on Keeping on.\u201d In reflection, He was encouraging me to have Grit. When I married Sophia, my mother-in-law shared three rules for a successful life: show up, do your best, and walk away. These principles became a blessing and have shaped my life for 29 years. Showing up is Grit<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Duckworth, Angela. 2016. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance<\/em>. Illustrated edition. New York London Toronto Sydney New Delhi: Scribner Book Company.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Ibid, 3-18.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Ibid, 214-18 and Dweck, Dr Carol. 2017. Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential<\/em>. London: Robinson. Ch 1.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Duckworth, 42-62.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Pink, Daniel H. 2018. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us<\/em>. Main edition. Canongate Books.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Coyle, Daniel. 2020. The Talent Code: Greatness Isn\u2019t Born. It\u2019s Grown<\/em>. 1st edition. London: Random House Business.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Clear, James. 2018. Atomic Habits: The Life-Changing Million-Copy #1 Bestseller<\/em>. 1st edition. London: Random House Business.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Gladwell, Malcolm. 2009. Outliers: The Story of Success<\/em>. Re-Issue edition. London: Penguin.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Fools Rush in<\/em>, directed by Andy Tennant (Columbia Pictures, 1997).<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> Ibid, 67-72.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a>Ibid, 338.<\/p>\n

[12]<\/a> Ibid, Ch 6-9.<\/p>\n

[13]<\/a> Ibid, Ch 10-11.<\/p>\n

[14]<\/a> A list of ministries that support persecuted Christians can be found here, https:\/\/www.stewardship.org.uk\/blogs\/help-persecuted-christians.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jesus is GRIT! Not only does this book define the Christian life, but it perfectly summarises Jesus. Before discussing Jesus, I will highlight the central premise of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, [1] before drawing an analogy with a movie, Jesus and my family. Angela Duckworth’s work on grit is absorbing and, in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3324,3364,2967],"class_list":["post-39453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-duckworth","tag-grit","tag-dlgp03","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39453"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39458,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39453\/revisions\/39458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}