29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
Some people never change their minds. They will stick to a decision even when they discover they have made a mistake. This first son realized that he had made a mistake by rejecting his father’s request. I hear stubbornness in his initial rejection of the request to go and work in the vineyard. Maybe it was some entitlement attitude seeping through. Maybe laziness. Maybe the son got used to hanging out with his friends and just didn’t want to be bothered that day. We have no idea what was his reason for rejecting his father’s simple request. But he soon changed his mind and went to the field. We have to be willing to change our minds when we realize that our initial reaction was ill advised. Changing our minds is a good thing when we have made a wrong decision. If we made a wrong turn at the last intersection, it makes sense to turn around quickly, rather than waiting until you reach the state line. We must be willing to turn back to the narrow way. We need to swallow our pride and do the right thing, even if it means we must do what we said we would not do. This is a sign of maturity. Spiritually mature people are willing to admit when they have been wrong. When was the last time you admitted you were wrong? When was the last time you came back and did the right thing after initially rejecting it? Mature believers are willing to do this. Of course it is better if we choose to do the right thing in the first place, rather than reacting against a request that goes against our convenience. The life of a believer is one of serving others. Are you ready to serve?
The Arnold Journey 