In Genesis chapters 6–9 we read the story of Noah. As time had passed many people had filled the earth and everyone seemed to have forgotten about God. The world that God loved and had created was full of disease, death and destruction. It is in this context that God tells Noah, a righteous man, that he is going to flood the world and that Noah is to build an ark.
It took many years for Noah to build the ark. His neighbours came out to look, laugh and torment him. They didn’t believe Noah that God was going to send a storm and flood the earth, or that they needed to be rescued. Noah showed grit as he persevered and was steadfast in his faith and obedience to God despite the wickedness of the world around him. He demonstrated grit as he persevered and spent many years building the ark. He demonstrated grit as he lived on the ark with all those animals in tight quarters during the storm and until the waters died down.
In Hebrews 11:7 it says: “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.”
The example of Noah
We all face adversity and hardship in life. Noah’s life is an example and challenge to be people of grit, an example of what it means be steadfast in our faith, faithful to God in our daily walk, and to persevere despite opposition and hardship. Noah was by no means perfect, yet his faith and biblical grit is an example of a greater one than him who was to come—Jesus Christ.
Jesus demonstrated true grit for us on the cross. As Christian people we are able to find strength and hope in Jesus, and challenge in the example of Noah. We should seek to have strong gritty faith like Noah. As a school, we want to be raising up a generation of students who possess the qualities of steadfastness, hope, perseverance, faithfulness and endurance. Such qualities will certainly be an asset to school endeavours, but more importantly, are life qualities that should be characteristic of the people of God.