Most of the time, stubbornness is seen as bad. It seems self-serving, whether a front for pride or a display of arrogance.
Unwilling to change. Can’t admit when wrong. Refuse to see another way.
I’ve been stubborn to the point of hurting others. My stubbornness has also resulted in missed opportunity and delayed growth. Maybe you can relate.
Good Stubborn
There are times when stubbornness is good. Though it’s still somewhat frustrating to others, it’s easier to understand and appreciate.
Refusal to give up. Pushing through. Making it to the end despite pain.
God tells Ezekiel to be stubborn in this way. More accurately, God makes Ezekiel stubborn.
“But see, I have made you hard and stubborn too – as tough as they are. I have made your forehead as hard as a rock. So don’t be afraid of them, or fear their sullen, angry looks, even though they are such rebels.” (Ezekiel 3:8-9, TLB)
In order for Ezekiel to overcome fear and say what God wanted him to say, Ezekiel needed to be stubborn. Before this stubbornness took effect, though, God had one requirement of Ezekiel.
“Then he added: “Son of dust, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first; listen to them carefully for yourself. Then, afterward, go to your people in exile, and whether or not they will listen, tell them: ‘This is what the Lord God says!’” (Ezekiel 3:10-111, TLB)
Godly Stubbornness
We can take some valuable lessons about stubbornness from this account.
- Be stubborn in fulfilling the purposes God sets before you.
- Fill yourself with God’s words to help keep you stubborn.
- Obey God’s words in your stubbornness.
Then, without fear, stubbornly pursue God’s will.
