Living The Christian Life Of ObedienceSample

There was an experiment to make the tail of a dog to be straight. They tied the tail with the stick and left it for few days. When the stick was untied, it again curved. They tried to hang a stone from the tip of the tail, however when the stone was removed the tail became a curve. Some people do not change under any circumstance.

Passage
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. (Deut 10:16-17)

Principles
Circumcision is an external symbol of spiritual covenant the Israelites enjoyed with God. However, they were not obedient to His Laws and always went astray. Though they were circumcised externally, they were not in their inner person. As all objects fall towards the earth because of gravity; human beings are prone towards sin.

There is a need for inner resolve to overcome sin and temptation. As Paul describes in the Book of Romans, the indwelling spirit of God in a Christian provides strength to defy the ‘gravity of sin.’ Stubbornness is an attitude that springs from pride and self-sufficiency.

Practice
Are we stubborn by not kicking off bad habits, certain type of lifestyle, not having right priorities...etc.? Every day we have to identify areas of life where we are stubborn and make efforts to become obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Plan of Action
Identify one area in which you are stubborn and work out a strategy to overcome it within a week.