Have you ever been pushed to the point where there was a burr under your saddle? That idiomatic phrase is used when something or someone in your life is extremely irritating or aggravating. Many plants produce burrs as part of their reproductive system, small seed pods which have stiff barbs, spines, or hooks around them. As those pods attach to the hair, fur, or clothing of passing people and animals, they are transported to new locations far from the parent plant. It may be interesting to note that Velcro was designed after the properties of God’s ingenious little burrs. Understanding that prickly property of a burr lends itself to understanding that under your saddle phrase: When a burr gets lodged under a horse’s saddle, it annoys the animal as it digs into their flesh and creates an open sore. Not life threatening, but painful and irritating.
When a voice of authority speaks, we have many responses available to us as illustrated for us in a parable Jesus shared with His disciples. A “certain man had two sons,” two young men who were of age and capable of sharing in the many responsibilities regarding their father’s vineyard. The father shares with each of them a simple request, “Son, go work today in my vineyard.” One dutiful son responds positively to his dad’s command, “I go, sir.” That would be fantastic is the verse ended there, but it doesn’t, for we are told that he “went not.” Ultimately, he refused to submit to his father’s authority, turning a deaf ear to his daddy’s request. The other son begins in open rebellion, “he answered and said, I will not: but afterward…he went.” I omitted some important words in that verse. What happened between his refusal and his ultimate submission? A burr happened.
God’s Word has a way of being irritatingly convicting at times, times that you wish you could ignore it, but there it is, persistent, penetrating, uncompromising. When the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives, we can be made uncomfortable, just like that unfortunate horse dealing with a burr. Peace escapes us as that “godly sorrow worketh repentance,” a change of attitude, a submissive spirit. Jesus tells us that this young boy who first refused his father’s wishes “repented, and went.” The painful burr of conviction accomplished its purpose, and submission was the fruit.
Is there a burr under your spiritual saddle? Is God at work in an area of your life that needs change? Don’t ignore it, allow it to lead you to repentance and joy.
II Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
God, I’m thankful for those spiritual burrs, those burrs that lead me to repentance and renewal. Help me to be submissive when prodded by Your Word.