Its only good to be stubborn when you are right. If you are stubborn and wrong, it can be dangerous. Especially if it deals with spiritual right and wrong…as that kind of stubbornness is eternal.
Are you currently being stubborn and continually finding yourself in the middle of conflict? If so, it is usually because of only two possibilities.
When two visions are stubbornly in conflict and one is right and one is wrong…then it should be easy to correct this problem…the one that is wrong needs to be asked to change or leave. 
The greater challenge is when two people/groups, who are both right, are being stubborn about something. The most common way this happens is when two individuals or groups have “right” visions for the future, but they can’t get unity on just one. Usually one of the right ways is simply not right timing anymore. (When people say, “That’s how we’ve always done it,” they are right in how they used to do it, but it is no longer good timing to do it that ‘right way’ anymore.) Two right ways stuck in disagreement are always a great challenge.
What do you do now? Who gives in?
It depends who the leader is, and the vision that leader has brought to the table. Leadership matters. Leadership is influence. Is the leader you are being stubborn towards higher in position than you in the hierarchy of the institution? (Please don’t tell me that you work in a non-hierarchical atmosphere) If you say that…you’re not only stubborn, but naive too. The buck always stops somewhere. If the buck stops with you, and you still aren’t moving forward, then that’s another blog about courage for another time.
Organizations / Churches / families / businesses / individuals, get stuck when, ((‘Who is the leader?’)) can’t be answered with unity.
Where does the buck stop? (This question is a huge problem with too many people/orgs) If you are not the leader and can’t entrust the leader with the ‘buck-stops here’ and the vision…then you have to move on…get your roots out of the way…or you’ll derail the whole thing. Why would you want to derail the direction, mission, vision of something good? Pride, Jealousy, Greed, Arrogance, Anger, did I miss one?
Obstacles remain obstacles because of the lack of courage in the highest leader. The whole vision will remain stuck if the leader doesn’t know how to courageously remove the tree growing in the middle of the tracks.
Be careful with stubbornness.
We stubborn people need to deliberately have our roots grow down deep. May we, in our lifetime become towering trees with deep and healthy roots. And may we be intelligently stubborn with where we choose for those roots to grow.
Here’s where your roots should thrive…
“Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:17-21
If you are encountering ‘trees’ with deep roots continually blocking your path, contact me, and we can talk through some godly strategy and wisdom about the business of tree removal. I’ve experienced it multiple times, and each time I handle it, it gets a little bit better. Not easier. Better.
