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 straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
Proverbs 3:5-7 ESV
My dad passed away several years ago, but his memory lives on in our minds. He was an amazing man—an entrepreneur, an inventor, a songwriter, and tenacious in every way.
That stubbornness could be a good thing, (in business, for example), but it also got him in trouble a time or two.
When my children were young, my dad rented an RV (a Winnebago) to take us on a family vacation. It was a fun and unique thing to do, and we loved it. We drove from Houston to New Braunfels, Texas, where we planned to spend time tubing on the river.
Only, when we arrived at the resort, something terrible happened. It started with a disagreement between those of us sitting in the front of the R.V. There was a metal barricade and my dad was convinced the R.V. would fit under it. The rest of us were sure he wouldn’t.
He was determined to prove us wrong, so under the metal barricade we went. And when the loud “Bang!” sounded, we all groaned in unison.
Oops!
Dad had forgotten about the A.C. unit on top of the Winnebago. He hit that A.C. with such force that it knocked it off!
He was proven wrong that day, and paid a heavy price. The R.V. spent the next three days in the shop while we floated on the river. And the cost of getting it fixed put quite a dent in my dad’s pocketbook.
I’d like to think he learned his lesson from that experience, but I don’t really know for sure. When you’re stubborn like that, those lessons are a little tougher to absorb.
What about you? Would folks say you’re the stubborn sort? Are there times when you’re convinced you’re right. . .only to discover you’re not?
God wants us to humble ourselves and listen closely—to His voice and to the voices of the godly mentors He has placed around us. They are there for our protection and our good.
Set that stubbornness aside, friend. It’s time to listen up!
Challenging Thought: Have you ever stubbornly refused to listen to God’s direction? How did that work out for you?
Read more devotions like this one in a new book Janice co-authored with Louise Looney titled An Overcoming Walk of Peaks and Valleys, now available on Amazon!
