We have all likely heard the expression “back to the old grind” with reference to one’s labors. When I worked in production, I often heard this or similar expressions at the end of a break when it was time to get back to work. As a sports fan, I have heard athletes of every kind talk about “the grind” when they speak about training camp or the long season of games in their respective sports. When speaking of a failure in a game or how they intend to improve a weakness in their game, they will often say, “I’m just going to keep grinding.” What, you may wonder, does this have to do with my Christian walk? That is a good question, and to answer, we look to the origin of the phrase to see if it resembles what the day to day Christian life is like.
The original concept, so far as my research has uncovered, is the idea of steady, monotonous, laborious, hard work of a dull or boring nature. If you work or have worked a job wherein you do the exact same things all day long, this phrase will take on a much deeper meaning to you. It is easy to become bored, complacent, and even weary of the monotony of such labors. There is often a great deal of turnover in these jobs as people just want to do something new and different. This is where we find the connection to Christianity.
The reality is that all of life can become monotonous. Most people have some semblance of a routine in their lives: wake up, make coffee, eat breakfast, brush teeth, feed the dog/cat/iguana/etc., get showered and dressed, drive to work (using the exact same route), work the same old job, come home (using the exact same route), catch up the household chores, eat supper, clean up, get ready for bed, sleep, wake up, rinse and repeat. Another expression to consider just here is, “Idle hands are the devil’s playground.” Therefore, we must never view our Christian walk and “the old grind” as burdensome. Boredom or high pressure will likely breed dissatisfaction, and this is a prime time for Satan to present the Christian with a shiny new temptation. We must not let Satan catch us in a state of boredom or weariness in our service to Christ.
An Old Testament example of what this can look like is found in the book of Malachi. In the first chapter, we learn that the children of Israel were going through the motions of worshipping God with their sacrifices. Sadly, they did so with improper attitudes and profane gifts (Mal. 1:7-8). We learn why in verse 13 where God says, “You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the LORD of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the LORD.” Communing with God and seeking His favor in worship ought to breed awe, wonder, and enthusiasm. Instead, they viewed it merely as a burdensome obligation and began to offer vain worship, which God will never accept (Mt. 15:8-9). Instead of responding in this way, we ought to echo David’s sentiments in Psalm 122:1: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.”’
Pressure from opponents can also promote “the old grind” view of Christianity. It is difficult to swim against the current but swim we must. Remember when the returned exiles quit building the temple in Ezra 4 because of resistance from their opponents? God refused to let the story end there, so He sent Haggai and Zechariah to rekindle their fire and embolden them to finish the work (Ezra 5:1-2). They had to view the work God gave them as greater than “the grind” necessary to bring about its completion. Genuine Christianity will be met with opposition (Jn. 15:18-21), but God has empowered us to keep grinding until the job is done (2 Tim. 1:7-12). Like the athlete we must look to the prize and “keep grinding” to obtain the prize (Heb. 12:1-3).
The original concept, so far as my research has uncovered, is the idea of steady, monotonous, laborious, hard work of a dull or boring nature. If you work or have worked a job wherein you do the exact same things all day long, this phrase will take on a much deeper meaning to you. It is easy to become bored, complacent, and even weary of the monotony of such labors. There is often a great deal of turnover in these jobs as people just want to do something new and different. This is where we find the connection to Christianity.
The reality is that all of life can become monotonous. Most people have some semblance of a routine in their lives: wake up, make coffee, eat breakfast, brush teeth, feed the dog/cat/iguana/etc., get showered and dressed, drive to work (using the exact same route), work the same old job, come home (using the exact same route), catch up the household chores, eat supper, clean up, get ready for bed, sleep, wake up, rinse and repeat. Another expression to consider just here is, “Idle hands are the devil’s playground.” Therefore, we must never view our Christian walk and “the old grind” as burdensome. Boredom or high pressure will likely breed dissatisfaction, and this is a prime time for Satan to present the Christian with a shiny new temptation. We must not let Satan catch us in a state of boredom or weariness in our service to Christ.
An Old Testament example of what this can look like is found in the book of Malachi. In the first chapter, we learn that the children of Israel were going through the motions of worshipping God with their sacrifices. Sadly, they did so with improper attitudes and profane gifts (Mal. 1:7-8). We learn why in verse 13 where God says, “You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the LORD of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the LORD.” Communing with God and seeking His favor in worship ought to breed awe, wonder, and enthusiasm. Instead, they viewed it merely as a burdensome obligation and began to offer vain worship, which God will never accept (Mt. 15:8-9). Instead of responding in this way, we ought to echo David’s sentiments in Psalm 122:1: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.”’
Pressure from opponents can also promote “the old grind” view of Christianity. It is difficult to swim against the current but swim we must. Remember when the returned exiles quit building the temple in Ezra 4 because of resistance from their opponents? God refused to let the story end there, so He sent Haggai and Zechariah to rekindle their fire and embolden them to finish the work (Ezra 5:1-2). They had to view the work God gave them as greater than “the grind” necessary to bring about its completion. Genuine Christianity will be met with opposition (Jn. 15:18-21), but God has empowered us to keep grinding until the job is done (2 Tim. 1:7-12). Like the athlete we must look to the prize and “keep grinding” to obtain the prize (Heb. 12:1-3).