Read: 2 Peter 2

‘If you don’t want your mother to dig her heels in, don’t back her into a corner.’ Wise advice from my husband to one of my children. My husband knows me well – I can be good at digging my heels in. Very good. And my father will already be ‘thumbs-upping’ this blog: digging-in of heels and me go back a long way together.

But is it a strength or a weakness? Good or bad?

I recently witnessed a games afternoon at a wonderful Scripture Union event at Minnis Bay. Digging-in of heels would certainly have helped the tug-of-war team I was supporting. At least, it would have allowed the contest to have lasted a few seconds longer! But the other side were definitely cheating, adding unauthorised team members at the last moment. No amount of digging was going to help: ‘We wuz robbed!’

And robbing is what the false teachers described in 2 Peter 2 were at risk of doing – robbing the followers of Jesus of their relationship with God, and seeing them turn back to leading a life without him. Using the terminology of The Message Bible paraphrase, there was a danger of scrubbed-up pigs heading back to the mud.

So should the Christians that Peter was writing to have refused to listen to the false teachers and carried on getting to know Jesus better? Should they have dug their heals in?

The obvious answer is ‘yes’. But the trouble with digging heels in is that it’s an attitude associated with being stubborn and obstinate. Not particularly attractive characteristics. And not, I think, characteristics that would persuade children and young people at Minnis Bay (or anywhere else) to explore what it means to follow Jesus.

I’ve visited many Scripture Union events and holidays for children and young people this year, not just Minnis Bay. Their common features aren’t stubbornness and obstinacy, but persistent service to their local communities and constant pointing people to Jesus.

Those are attributes that I want to show. Flicking or scrolling to Peter’s first letter, I’ll try to adopt the posture promoted there: ‘standing firm in the faith’. Much better than digging my heels in. And, next time I’m backed into a corner, I’ll try not to be stubborn or obstinate. Although maybe I hope none of my family are reading this!