Kick Against The Pricks

"And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (Acts 9:5). If you pet a relaxed hedgehog in the right direction, with the spines, it is unlikely that you will prick your fingers doing so. However, if you try to pet against the spines, then you are almost certain to prick your fingers. Regardless of how much we like to believe in moral relativism, or situational ethics, or shades of gray, the fact of the matter is that Truth runs in only one direction. When we act in accordance with that truth, then, even though that truth is quick and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword, we have no fear of pricking our conscience, just like we would have no fear in petting a hedgehog in the right direction. But if we let our fear or our pride goad us into going in any way against the truth, then we are kicking against the pricks and we will take the truth to be hard and painful and we will cut ourselves to pieces. We will only find true peace and comfort and joy when we are going with the truth and not kicking against the pricks. Jesus Christ is the way, the light and the life. Only by following Him can we avoid the constant stabs of disappointment and misery that will inevitably come if we try to live contrary to the truth and kick against the pricks. I know that walking the straight and narrow path, even when it requires hard times and painful trials, nevertheless, it is in the long run still the path that hurts the least and provides the greatest possibility of happiness.