Uncompromising Determination

A farmer was driving down the road one day and noticed a signed by the local airport that said "EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF FLYING." The farmer thought to himself, Tomorrows is my wife's birthday. I'd love for her to experience the thrill of flying. That would sure make a nice birthday present.
The farmer went into the airport and after sometime found a pilot who would take him and his wife on a flight over their farm. The pilot owned a small open cockpit plane that would certainly give his wife a thrill, but the pilot's price was too high. The farmer bartered with the pilot for a long time, insisting on a lower price. Finally, the pilot agreed to the lower price, on one condition: the farmer and his wife had to promise not to say a single word during the entire flight. One word spoken aloud, however small, would increase the prices to the pilot's original fee. The farmer's determination to give his wife the thrill of flying was only surpassed by his determination to spend as little money as possible, so he agreed to the condition.
The next morning the three of them took off and soon were high in the air. The pilot knew that if he did a few roller-coaster dips and turns with the plane, the couple in the backseat would speak up and he would receive the higher price. With that in mind, the pilot dipped and turned, climbed and dived, even did a few loop-de-loops. But not a sound was uttered. Not a scream, not a whimper. Nothing but silence.
As they were landing, the pilot, amazed at the determination of his passengers, yelled back to the farmer, "I can't believe you didn't say something up there! why, I dipped and turned, climbed and dived as never before, but you two were quite the whole time. I guess you win!"
The farmer shouted back, "Well, you almost won, son. You almost won. I sure felt like screaming when my wife fell out."


Lesson:
The old farmer was determined to get what he wanted on his terms. He got it, but with a result that he probably hadn't counted on. Some of us are like that. We can be amazingly determined to have things our way. We let pride stubbornness get in the way of listening to reason or doing what we know is right.

Are you like that sometimes? You know that God wants, but you want something else. Before long there is a battle of the wills. Who is going to win? The truth is, you may win a battle or two, but you always lose of the war. If you are a strong-willed person, with a mind of your own, God wants you! God wants to transform and to channel your determination into a determination to serve Christ and to stick with Him no matter what. God is looking for people who stubbornly refuse to turn away from Jesus Christ.