Stubbornness: Refusing to Yield to God

Stubbornness means holding firm to one's position - being persistent and determined, and not easily swayed by others. It is a settled refusal to bend, a fixedness of will that will not be reasoned with. It closes the heart to God's voice, even when His direction is clear, and places self-will above His rightful Lordship.

Rebellion Against God's Direction

Stubbornness is rebellion against God — a refusal to conform to divine direction and acknowledge His rightful Lordship. When you hear God's voice, don't harden your heart; obey, so that it will go well for you and your descendants (Deut 5:29, 10:16; Jer 7:13; Heb 4:7).

Is there some area I am not yielding to God?

Because stubbornness is an attitude of thinking 'I know best', and wanting things my way, be open and pliable to the Holy Spirit. Live in submission and obedience to God; when you have done wrong, humbly acknowledge it and repent.

God gives every person free will — the dignity of making real choices — and He will never override it or force His way into a heart that refuses Him. Yet freedom never means freedom from outcome: every choice carries with it either blessing or consequence (Deut 30:19; Josh 24:15). Choosing God's way brings life, peace and fruitfulness; insisting on one's own way, however appealing it seems, will eventually reap exactly what it has sown (Gal 6:7-8).

The High Cost of a Hardened Heart

Being stubborn blinds people to the truth and leads to a hardened heart, lacking compassion for others. Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go from Egypt on repeated occasions, resulting in enormous loss (Ex 5:1-14:31). Stubbornness is as bad as idol worship, which was punishable by death (Deut 13:12-15; 1 Sam 15:23).

What am I refusing to surrender?

Don't stubbornly hold on to any idol or anything Christ asks you to surrender. Clinging to it will only bring misery, cause you to miss God's best for your life, and lead to your downfall (Ex 20:3; Mt 19:16-22).

Free will also means stubbornness is never forced on anyone — it is chosen, one refusal at a time. Pharaoh's heart was not hardened in a single moment; each time God's promptings were resisted it grew a little more resolute, until obstinacy became a settled disposition (Ex 8:15, 9:34). The consequences that follow are not arbitrary punishments but the natural harvest of self-will: strained relationships, lost opportunities, a seared conscience and, if unrepented of, God's final judgment.

Wanting to control everything and being very rigid — not willing to consider an alternative approach or open to accepting new ideas — is a guaranteed way to lose friends. In fact, refusing to change or listen to advice puts a person beyond the reach of help (2 Kgs 17:13-15). Those who remain stubborn and unrepentant for their sin will be judged by God (Rom 2:5,8-9).

When Conviction Is Not Stubbornness

Holding strong convictions and being persistent in maintaining that stance are good qualities, provided they are based on a true, sound foundation — such as the clear commands of Scripture, which are not open to negotiation. These essentials of the faith must be adhered to at all costs.

Is it firm conviction — or plain stubbornness?

However, in areas of personal preference or non-essentials, be prepared to compromise and be tolerant of the opinions of others.

Reflection and Application

Ask God to reveal any area where you are resisting His direction, and yield it to Him today.
When corrected by God's Word or by a trusted friend, choose to listen rather than defend yourself.
Hold fast to the essentials of the faith, but stay flexible and tolerant in matters of personal preference.
If you have done wrong, humbly acknowledge it, repent, and walk forward in obedience.