Like most older post-surgery patients, the kind-hearted farmer was warned that he had to do his breathing exercises and tests to avoid pneumonia. He took the nurse's advice nicely, thanked her for it--and then proceeded to ignore it.
After all, he had been farming all his life and done it HIS way. No one told him what to do and even if they tried, HE was always the final authority. That was the state of mind behind his warm, friendly exterior. He came through the surgery all right, did't he? So why was some silly huffing and puffing needed now?
But even as his lungs began to fill up with fluid, he remained unconcerned. His family begged him to reconsider. But he refused, and as the nurse curtly said, "it led to his demise."
We tend to associate stubbornness with all the outward expressions which usually accompany it: an angry, defiant attitude; boastful or profane speaking; gang tattoos, etc. But the fact is, what the Bible calls rebellion, or being "stiff necked," is a state of the HEART which can wear a thousand disguises, even friendly and kind ones.
Before he died, Moses warned the Israelites in Deuteronomy 31:27--"I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!" He had them pegged. Centuries later, their idolatry and neglect of God's other commands led to their conquest by foreign powers, as they were dragged into Babylonian slavery.
Repentance is always a better choice. As Peter reminds us, God does't want "anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). No matter how we appear to others on the outside, all of us must learn to bow before God's greater authority, recognize the truth of His Word, and humble ourselves.
An iconic brand is closing its doors:
A small union's stubbornness in contract talks with Hostess is being blamed for the shutdown of one of America's snack food icons, the loss of 18,500 jobs just before the holiday season and much-needed tax revenue from hundreds of plants and shops across the country.
The privately-held company had reached a deal with the Teamsters, but a smaller union representing bakery workers refused to agree to concessions, prompting the mass layoffs and closing down of hundreds of plants, bakeries and delivery routes. That prompted harsh words from both the company and from Teamsters officials.
"We deeply regret the necessity of today's decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike," Chief Executive Gregory Rayburn said in a statement. "Hostess Brands will move promptly to lay off most of its 18,500-member workforce and focus on selling its assets to the highest bidders."
There may be a fine line between standing on principle and selfish stubbornness. The courts and history will have to decide whether that line was crossed in the instance of Hostess snack foods. Nevertheless, digging in one's heels can often be a lose-lose proposition that may even come back to take a bite out of your Twinkie.
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:4).
Illustration Exchange
"In several ancient cultures, the ox was commonly used to plow fields and pull carts. Proverbially stubborn, these animals were hard to handle under the best of circumstances. When a sullen bull stiffened the muscles of his powerful neck, it was difficult or impossible to guide him.
"Hebrews employed an expression meaning stiff-necked to identify persons as defiant and self-willed as oxen. This descriptive term was used both literally and figuratively in Scripture. "As a result, it remains alive and well long after use of ox power died in western society."
Webb Garrison, formerly associate dean of Emory University and president of McKendree College, wrote more than 55 books, including Civil War Curiosities and Civil War Trivia and Fact Book before his death in 2000.
God places His yoke upon us not to increase our burden but to relieve it. Don't stiffen your neck to God's leading in your life.
"A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed--without remedy" (Proverbs 29:1).
"Take my Jesus' yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29).