Stubbornness can be a good thing

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Did you ever know a stubborn person?  Maybe you yourself are one.  

I can be very stubborn at times.  Here is how this can be a good thing.

You won't get me to budge on my commitment to Christ.  No can do.  My stubborn refusal to ever give up on the Lord or my faith in Him is my strength, foundation, and reason for living.  How do I know how stubborn I am in this?  Because my faith has been tried, tested, and tempted and I'm still holding on to Jesus.

Another time my stubbornness serves me well is when I refuse to hop on the latest trending bandwagons just because "everyone else" is hopping on.  I wait and watch.  I let it play out and see if it is going to go belly up, destroy people's connection to Christ, and so on.  I'm not one to "join" quickly.

I've never been one to give in to peer pressure.  I stay stubbornly true to myself and God knowing that if I will follow Him, and not whatever crazy thing my "peers" are doing, He will always lead me on the right path for me.

I stubbornly hold on to the Gospel because I know its power, Truth, and that it is the only way to salvation for all mankind.  

I stubbornly cling to Christ as my only real hope and security because He truly is my only hope and security!

I stubbornly follow Christ no matter where He leads - and He has led me to some very dark places, places I did not want to be.  If He says "Stay," I stay.  I only leave when and if He leads me to leave.  I guess this is also a stubbornness in that I refuse to be led my my feelings, or even "common sense," suffering, or anyone else's advice to me if it goes against what I know the Lord wants me to do.  

The way is narrow, to be sure.  But so what?  As long as Jesus is on the path with me, He is all I really need anyway.

I stubbornly refuse to take the "easy" way out, or compromise my beliefs for anyone or anything.  

It's not that I'm never tempted.  I am.  But that's where my stubbornness pays off!  I see the temptation for what it is, either right away or soon enough, and refuse to give in to it.

This is not my will power or super human discipline.  Bah!  This is Christ working in me to decide correctly and in ways that are best for me (whether immediately or by faith) and that honor Him.

God gets all the glory!  All the credit for any wise decision I make.  Period.  I can take no credit because it is His righteousness and wisdom working in me when I stubbornly refuse to give in to sin.  I have no righteousness of my own, and neither do you!  


Dear Lord, thank You for making me stubborn.  Help me always use that trait for Your glory and for no other reasons.  I pray that You continue to work Your will and way through me so that I can discern right from wrong and stubbornly refuse to give in to the ways of the world, the lies it offers, the enemy, and/or my own flesh.  Be glorified in me, Lord Jesus.  Thank You for leading me always.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

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