Sixty Percent More Grit

We often talk about the “80/20 Rule,” that 80% of the people do 20% of the work and 20% do 80% of the work. It’s a rule that sounds astonishing at first, but once you sit down and think about it and apply it to experience, you find it’s conceivably true. We’ve been part of the 20% that complained about it. We’ve been part of the 80% that’s been complained about.

There’s another more astonishing rule that most of us need to face, even though we’ll have a more challenging time accepting this rule. It’s called the “40% Rule” and states that when your body or mind starts to tell you that you are exhausted and done, you’re actually only about 40% physically or mentally finished. Proven by Seals training or other “push the limits” exercises, people are often much more capable than they give themselves credit for. David Goggins says, “When you think that you are done, you’re only 40% into what your body’s capable of doing. That’s just the limits that we put on ourselves.”

When we apply this to our lives, we often think of times when we’ve forced ourselves beyond what we first thought possible, but could we have done 60% more? That’s the part that makes us struggle. The truth is that our minds start telling us to stop at 40%, and every bit you continue pushing, your mind yells louder for you to stop. But most of us are much more capable than we are willing to admit. We are people who have willpower and self-control. We must be willing to have the grit to make the hard decisions and do what we don’t want.

This is the very struggle Paul describes: "For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate. Now, if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me" (Rom 7.15-20).

Often, people use this scripture as proof that we cannot have self-control. It’s proof texted to excuse our weakness. Yet, how many times does the Bible teach us to have self-control (Pro 25.28; 1 Cor 9.24-27; Gal 5.23; 2 Tim 1.7; 2 Pet 1.5-7, etc.). God expects us to be people who use the power God gives us to control our behaviors. While Paul is extolling the difficulties of walking by the Spirit, he isn’t excusing the failures of the flesh.

The truth is that many of us could move beyond our sins if we just had more grit.

We could stop looking at porn if we filled our minds with thoughts of Jesus.

We could forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it if we see them the way Jesus sees them.

We could overcome the addiction if we surround ourselves with support and accountability.

We could talk to our friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers about the Gospel if we genuinely wanted their salvation.

I did not write this article to create guilt. God knows we all live with enough of that. But instead, I’m hoping to promote more grit. God also knows we need more of that. If the 40% Rule is valid physically, where we truly have limits, how much more true is it spiritually where we are unlimited by the power of God? He promises to supply what we need to accomplish His will (Heb 13.20-21). I like the way Paul says it to Timothy. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment” (2 Tim 1.7).

We are people of power - God’s power. We are people who love with the love of Jesus. We are people who have sound judgment, even when judging our capabilities. We can do more than we think, far beyond what we imagine, and we will do that if we desire to please God. All it takes a determination, grit, or maybe a better “church” word is steadfastness.

Exactly 60% more.