Stiff-Necked

Hello everyone! Dictionary.com defines Stiff-Necked as haughty and obstinate; refractory. Let’s go a little further and define haughty, disdainfully proud and scornfully arrogant. Obstinate, firmly or stubbornly adhering to one’s purpose, opinion; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty. Refractory, hard or impossible to manage, stubbornly disobedient.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”Proverbs 16:18 KJV

A relationship with a stiff-necked person is a unpleasant experience indeed. An experience filled with hardship, poor communication and constant chaos. Stiff-necked people don’t take sound advice. I’m speaking from experience. The more you endeavor to help pull them out of a ditch, the deeper they will dig themselves into the ditch. Why? Because they are firmly stubborn adhering to their own purpose. A Stiff-necked person will drain you of all your energy. Trying to help them when they refuse to help themselves. Stay away from anyone who exhibits these characteristics and this behavior. Dealing with them will not turn out well for you!

“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.” Deuteronomy 10:16

Stiff-Necked and Kindness, Proceed with Caution

We should all endeavor to be kind and show kindness to one another. Stiff-necked people do not appreciate Kindness. Their purpose is usually selfishly self gratifying. In my experience endeavoring to show kindness to a stiff-necked person has caused me unnecessary stress, wasted time and financial resources. Why? Because they rarely adhere to instructions, often deterring from sound advice and doing things their way, for their own convenience. That behavior usually results in making the situation worst for themselves and defeating the purpose of your kind assistance. It is wise to simply refrain from endeavoring to come to their assistance or rescue! It will not turn out well!

“If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.” Deuteronomy 21:18-21 KJV

Sister Brenda