You don’t hear the word gumption used very often. I like the sound of it. It makes me think of courage. It involves wisdom, discernment, spirit, ability, and judgment, among other things. It also requires good old-fashioned get-up-and go! When gumption is utilized in a godly way, I call it glorious. Join me this week as we look as some women who displayed glorious gumption in their lives and understand how we can do something similar!

Hannah

And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut. 

1 Samuel 1:11 NLT

Hannah desperately wanted to be a mother, but she had no children for many years. She’d been picked on and looked down on all this time by another wife who had children (Peninnah). Hannah became sad and depressed over her infertility and cried often because of it. Although her husband loved her more than his other wife, and brought her extra portions of food, he didn’t understand her anguish. We read his words in 1 Samuel 1:8, “…Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:1-10).  He might ‘ve meant well but he definitely didn’t get it. He sounded like his focus was really on himself!

Read today’s Dose verse. Hannah looked to God for control of her situation. She conceded her helplessness and confessed her need of God’s power to end her anguish. She faithfully laid her infertility before God and made a conscience commitment to God to relinquish to His service the son He might bless her with. She even planned a sign (his hair would not be cut) to show the Lord her sincerity. Hannah wasn’t making some shallow faithless wish or some spontaneous bargain with God, as we do sometimes. God doesn’t bargain with us.

Can you even imagine how hard it would be to have gone all those years barren and then upon being blessed with a child, surrendering him back to the Lord? Sacrifice and release of control is not my strong suit, nor that of many people I know. Our tendency is to hold on tightly to virtually everything we have.  Hannah showed a tremendous amount of sacrifice, commitment, and faith. This was Hannah’s glorious gumption! God granted her plea and she was faithful to loyally honor her commitment.

Sometimes the realization of our utter lack of control is just what is needed to turn us to the only One truly in control: God. God calls us to hold the earthly things He gives us loosely because He is the giver and taker of them all, including our children. When we understand and accept that without God’s intervention, we’re powerless to extinguish our anguish, sufferings, and unmet needs, we can learn to surrender control and fully rely on God.

Are you hanging onto control today? Why don’t you surrender your control for the Lord’s?

Glorious gumption through surrendering control,

Rita

[Read 1 Samuel Chaps 1 & 2 for more of this story]