by David Brenneman
"Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the Lord will stand." Proverbs 19:21
"The fear of the Lord leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil." Proverbs 19:23
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.
Stubbornness leads to many a disaster and disappointment.
Stubbornness can lead to a victory if the cause is just and honorable.
A just cause is whatever purpose the Spirit lays on a person's heart for Jesus.
There's indeed much that I can say that I know. But I also freely admit there's so much more that I don't know.
The Bible tells us in Psalms 14:1-3 "The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one."
"Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts." Proverbs 21:2.
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel." Proverbs 12:15.
When you step into today...are you taking Jesus with you? Or is it in the back of your mind that after you might talk with Jesus that you're on your own?
There's certainly no shortage of stubborn people in our lives or in our mirrors.
The problem arises when we take our eyes off of Jesus, thinking that things around us aren't so bad.
We are just as stubborn a lot as the Disciples. We also struggle with seeing that which the Spirit tries to show us.
Perhaps you've been around long enough to hear someone have it said of them that they "have the patience of Job". While I disagree that Job had patience, reading it carefully, patience was far from Job.
We live in a society that wants to see things the way they want to see them.
Patience isn't a strong suit for most people. For several generations people have been living in a microwave society. Yet even in that they have no patience. 3 minutes in a microwave is just too long.
We treat our prayers the same way and in this lose our patience and our stubbornness shows.
We can easily be blinded by wanting what we want when we want it.
We can often, really, be our own worst enemy.
If I am going to be accused of being stubborn I would hope it would be in reference to something good. But it's not always the case.
Everyone trying to do whatever is right in their own eyes only gets a lot of people upset and lives are ruined in the process.
What lead up to the Great Flood of the book of Genesis was that the thoughts of mankind were evil continually, everyone was doing whatever was right in their own eyes.
Jesus said that before He comes back that those days would be just like the days of Noah...and for the most part...here we are.
Evil stubbornness is rampant. Sins are celebrated and even enshrined into law. To kill an unborn child is an acceptable behavior. The stubborn refusal for society to not ban this is a testimony toward evil stubbornness.
The list goes on. Many burying their heads in the sand because they don't want to deal with it.
Good stubbornness can help you to grow in Christ. For me, it doesn't matter what's transpired, I keep my commitment to still read my evening readings. I could easily sleep in an hour or so more but meeting with Jesus at this hour is better.
Jesus said that in this world we will have tribulations...troubles would be the modern word.
Troubles that will either show us things about ourselves or others that need to change or need to go.
Listening to the voice of God is essential in living a life where our stubbornness is kept in check.
Does God speak today? Why wouldn't God speak to you today?
Moses, in Deuteronomy, told the children of Israel to listen to the voice of the Lord. He wasn't only referring to the written words of the Law. He was telling them to ask of and listen to the Lord.
In our own stubbornness we tend to get tunnel vision. We get so set in a particular desired outcome we block out other thoughts or needs for ourselves or others.
How are you using your stubbornness? Are you self-centered about it or are you using it to help others?
Persistence is often what stubbornness is taken for.
Being persistent over the right things is always good. Whatever you choose, stubbornness or persistence , make sure it's to the glory of God. Listening to the Spirit along the way.
Being around other Godly people, sharing life with them, can help keep your life in Christ in check.
Praying for what God's wanting versus what you might want will help you greatly.
A right relationship with Jesus is where everything starts. While it starts there we need a daily reminder to keep it cultivated.
Everything we have in this world is destined to perish except what we do for Jesus.
Don't let the things of this world cause you to be one who's doing whatever is right in your own eyes.
Ask yourself questions to see what is motivating you. Are you honoring Christ in what gets your attention?
Are you holding onto that which has God's blessing or your blessing?
Are you engaged in things in your life that you aren't letting go of that the voice of God says shouldn't be a part of your life?
Check your stubbornness n see.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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