Stubborn Hearts: Why Mulish Faith Grieves God
- Jack Selcher
- Sep 17, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Summary
Using a vivid childhood story of a mule-powered farmer, this reflection exposes stubbornness as the default condition of the human heart. Scripture consistently portrays stubbornness as resistance to God, linked to pride, rebellion, sin, and disobedience. It shuts out wisdom, harms others, and grieves Jesus. Stubbornness has no redeeming value; love and obedience cannot coexist with it
A Mule Farmer and a Lesson in Stubbornness
He was old-fashioned. His neighbors used tractors and other modern machinery to squeeze income from their land. He refused.
He still harvested hay without baling it. He churned his butter. He made his soap.
Everything on his farm was mule-powered. He was as stubborn as his two mules. He lived on a farm on the hill northeast of our house.
He was 71 years older than I was. He still farmed with his mules into his eighties. His name was Harry M. Shope.
My brothers and I were the closest thing to children he ever had. We liked him, and he liked us.
He rode one of his mules to get the mail. The other mule went nuts when he took only one mule from the stall. He kicked sideways as powerfully as behind him. His pounded-out complaint against the barn walls rang in my young ears.
Why We Call It Being “Mulish”
Mules illustrate stubbornness. For centuries, they have had that reputation. Stubborn people remain entrenched despite abundant and reasonable persuasion to change.
We call it being mulish. Most of us have years of experience in it.
The Bible’s View of a Stubborn Heart
Twenty-eight times, the New International Version of the Bible refers to stubbornness. It never portrays it in a favorable light. Fifteen of those times, stubbornness describes the human heart.
Stubbornness and Resistance to God
Stubbornness is associated with a heart unwilling to follow God’s ways (Romans 2:5). It includes resisting the LORD (Exodus 13:15), pride (Leviticus 26:19), and being obstinate (Deuteronomy 2:30).
It is associated with wickedness and sin (Deuteronomy 9:27), rebellion against authority (Deuteronomy 21:18), evil practices (Judges 2:19), and turning one’s back on and not listening to God (Nehemiah 9:29).
Its playmates include disloyalty and unfaithfulness to God (Psalm 78:8), following one’s own devices (Psalm 81:12), evil (Jeremiah 3:17), and rebellion (Jeremiah 5:23).
Stubbornness’s friends are idolatry (Jeremiah 9:14), disobedience (Jeremiah 16:12), continuing with one’s plans (Jeremiah 18:12), and refusal to pay attention to and listen to God (Zechariah 7:11).
A stubborn heart angers and grieves Jesus (Mark 3:5). It slams the door in the face of His input. Stubbornness is the default setting of our hearts. It is our standard operating procedure.
No one has to teach us. When others persuade us to let go of our irrational actions, we grip them more tightly. It is our unthinking reaction to their persuasion. We have all done it.
Stubbornness has no redeeming value. None. A heart filled with love is never in its company.
The Spiritual Cost of Digging In
Instead of sacrificing ourselves for others' benefit, we build a protective fortress around ourselves and our ill-conceived plans. We have not thought about their unintended consequences.
That fortress becomes the launch pad for foolish decisions. We don’t consider unwanted advice. Even if it comes from God through His word. We refuse to compromise or negotiate.
There will be no discussion about it. We will not change anything. Our plans are not up for review or improvement.
Why Stubbornness Is Never a Virtue
We think that they are fine just the way they are. But they rarely are. Our stubborn hearts distress our Lord. Stubbornness is not a virtue. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.
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