Lambkin was the pet and source of fun for the whole farm family.

One day the farmer brought home a big metal barrel. It was rusty and the cover was missing, but the farmer's son saw in it the chance for some fun. He called Lambkin. The lamb bounced up, eager for something new to do. The boy turned the barrel on its side, "Go on in, Lambkin," he urged. It was so large the lamb could walk in and have room to spare.

But charactistic of sheep, going in was one thing, but coming out another. Once he was in, Lambkin didn't know how to get out. Backing was against his sheepish principles, and the end of the barrel was too hard to go through. Bang, bang, bang, went his head on the metal.

The boy began to worry about his pet. "Come on out, Lambkin," he begged. Still the banging went on. There was only one way out, according to the sheep, and that way as through. Finally, to save his stubborn pet from a serious headache, the boy grabbed him by the hind legs and dragged him out of his predicament.

A sheep simply has a one-track mind. He can go in and through, but he seems to be unable to learn to back out of a bad situation. He is obstinate and unyielding -- words that the dictionary uses as synonyms for "stubborn."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could write off stubbornness as purely a characteristic of sheep? Unfortunately some of us human beings are also possessed of a goodly portion of that contrary spirit. If someone tells us not to do something, and does so in a demanding way, our stubbornness makes us determined to do just that thing.

If you are a stubborn person yourself, or if you have ever dealt with such a person, you realize that it is usually a demand or an order given impolitely that triggers an obstinate, unyielding reaction. Could it be that a stubborn person has a touchy sense of pride? Whatever it is, once a stubborn reaction is started it will carry through to the bitter end.

Now stubbornness is not all bad. Some of it is desirable. When it comes to dealing with sin, an unyielding, uncompromising spirit is needed. When a difficult job is to be done, it pays to have a bit of stubbornness in your make-up to help carry you through to the end.

Let's show our wisdom, if stubbornness is part of our make-up; let's use that stubborn spirit wisely. Let's ask God for his help to know when we should be obstinate and when we should give in gracefully. A sheeplike stubbornness is not admirable in situations requiring tact and gentle dealings with others, but it can be an asset when resisting temptation. There is sometimes wisdom in retreat.