“You are as stubborn as a mule.” Ever heard those words…only not so kindly? Other words can be and have been used as substitutes. Since I don’t talk that way, I prefer to use the more bland word “donkey.”
My reading this morning from Everyday Gospel included Balaam and his incident with his donkey. Balak was fearful of the horde of Israelites who were at his doorstep so he commissioned Balaam, a “prophet from God,” to pronounce a curse on them. Balaam first refused but the lure of money drew him to Balak. It was on his way there when Balaam’s donkey saw an angel and three times was beaten by Balaam for his stubbornness. (See what I did there?) 🙂 Anyway, eventually Balaam saw the angel and was rebuked by his donkey and the angel for beating his donkey. Long story short Balaam pronounced what was supposed to be a curse on the Israelites but it came out as a blessing. Unable to pronounce a curse, Balaam gave Balak another approach: have your women seduce the Israelite men, thus compromising who they were. Intermarriage was forbidden in the Israelite culture and, more importantly, by God. It got so bad that one of the Israelite men flaunted his Midianite woman in front of others and took her into his tent. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, took a spear and thrust the spear completely through him and into the woman’s stomach. Lovely picture (and you can use your own imagination), but it stopped the plague.
Okay…so that might have been a bit TMI for now. But not really. God doesn’t take sin lightly. But let’s pedal backward for a moment. I’m still intrigued by the donkey and Balaam. I have been called the other word (with some adjectives added) in the past, and I may hear it again in the future. But, in this case, it just might be a compliment. I have, at times, been as stubborn as a mule. I will admit that. As I have gotten older I realize there are some hills worth dying on and some that I will let others have. I’m sort of stubborn when it comes to truth. But other times? It’s not worth it. When I think of being stubborn and being almost cartoonish about it, I think of a little child standing with his arms crossed and a lower lip pouting out. I heard it once said that a little girl was being punished and told to go to stand in a corner. Her comment to her mom was, “I may be standing on the outside, but I’m sitting on the inside.”
That’s me sometimes. “Do what God? You talking to me?” “I don’t wanna!” And there you have it. Stubbornness. I need to be more like Balaam’s donkey and less of an…well you know. Are you stubborn? How have you learned to deal with it? Has God softened your heart?
I hate it when I am wrong and too stubborn to admit it. It always gets me into trouble. But God stubbornly continues to love me! Our stubbornness leads to sin, but we all benefit from God’s stubbornness.
That is a great way to look at it Pam! Our stubbornness = trouble. God’s stubbornness = His undying love.
We can all be so stubborn, especially when we want things our way and forget that God has something else planned – something that is always better than we could ever imagine. Again, being a “donkey” as in the Balaam story, isn’t always a bad thing. 🙂
Blessings, Bill!
Very true Martha. i wonder how much we miss out on when we are so stubborn we don’t open our eyes.
I can be stubborn at times. I try to keep perspective by slowing down a bit and not rage through the china shop like a raging bull. Like you, I try to choose carefully which hills I am willing to die on. I then continue to re-evaluate those hills to make sure they are worth it.
I like the imagery Ryan: “raging bull through the china shop.” I would like to believe I am beyond that but nope. Constantly evaluating. Good idea
I would like to say all my stubborn times are behind me, but I can still be stubborn. Like that little girl I can stand on the outside and sit on the inside. I have gotten better about evaluating and realizing that God is in control, and I try to make sure my fight is for all the right reasons and none of those reasons include me. Still when I do not listen to God, He knows when I am sitting on the inside, and I still need to repent whether or not my thoughts are said out loud.
You stubborn? Say it ain’t so! 🙂 I can still see me sitting on the inside also Gail. I’m glad you are able to evaluate yourself honestly. Most of us, self included, have trouble looking into the mirror.