“Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.” — Proverbs 28:14 (NLT)

This morning, as I was trying to rush through my morning Proverbs reading, this verse stopped me in my tracks.

“Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.”

I read it once. Then I read it again.

And honestly, I felt called out.

If there were ever a verse that described my life, this might be it.

The stubborn part.

I’ve always been stubborn. Not the cute, determined kind of stubborn people joke about. The kind that digs in its heels. The kind that insists on learning lessons the hard way. The kind that lets a brother break a finger instead of saying “uncle.” The kind that would walk RIGHT INTO a pit because someone told me not to.

Man, the number of times I have gotten into “serious trouble” because of my stubbornness is too many too count.

I ignored warning signs.

I ignored wise counsel.

I held onto relationships I should have let go of.

I convinced myself I could handle things on my own.

And more times than I care to admit, I paid the price for it. And still am.

The truth is, stubbornness has cost me a lot.

It has cost me peace.

It has cost me joy.

It has cost me time.

And sometimes it has delayed the very blessings God was trying to give me.

That is why one of my daily prayers has become, “Lord, change me.”

Change my heart.

Because I know God doesn’t waste anything. Even the parts of my personality that have caused me problems can be redeemed by Him.

I pray He takes my stubbornness and transforms it into determination.

I pray He turns it into unwavering faith.

I pray He uses that same determination that once led me down destructive paths and redirects it toward His Kingdom.

If I’m going to be stubborn, I want to be stubborn about following Jesus.

Stubborn about staying sober.

Stubborn about doing the next right thing.

Stubborn about trusting God when life doesn’t make sense.

Stubborn about refusing to quit when healing feels slow.

As I continue this journey of recovery, healing, and becoming, my prayer remains the same:

Lord, take my stubborn heart and make it useful for Your glory. Turn my determination into devotion. Turn my willfulness into willingness. Turn my mistakes into testimonies. And help me become the woman You created me to be.

Because I’ve had enough serious trouble for one lifetime.

I’m ready for the blessing that comes from walking closely with Jesus.