The Power of a Gentle Whisper
" And after the fire came a gentle whisper. " 1 Kings 19:12
When our oldest granddaughter was in kindergarten we attended an awards ceremony in her school. The students were in classes from kindergarten through eighth grade. Class by class the students entered the gymnasium and, as they did, the noise in the facility grew louder and louder. The noise became almost deafening as students enjoyed their break from the drudgery of classroom work and talked louder and louder to be heard by each other in a facility with very poor acoustics.
When it was time for the program to begin the teachers tried to restore order to their respective classes and the principal used his authority via the PA system to appeal for quiet in the room. They had modest success and the decibel level in the room subsided but not sufficiently to start the program. Then the kindergarten teacher stood up and gave a light, unique clap with her hands. Her clapping sequence was so quiet I would not have heard it had I not been looking in her direction at that moment. The response in the room was immediate. Every student stopped talking and looked directly at her. The whole room was instantly quiet.
This teacher did not speak loud or try to be louder than the students to get their attention. I then realized that every student had begun their education journey in her classroom. From the first day they attended school she had patiently and lovingly nurtured them to respond to her gentle request to stop what they were doing and pay attention to her. Her methods were so ingrained in them that even as they got older they still responded to their kindergarten teacher and her gentle ways.
This teacher demonstrated an important lesson we learn from God's interaction with Elijah on Mount Horeb as recorded in the book of 1 Kings. God gave a great display of power through wind strong enough to brake rocks, an earthquake and a fire, but it was when God spoke to Elijah in a gentle whisper that Elijah relaxed and listened.
Ephesians 4:2,3 states it this way: "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
Jesus modelled humbleness and gentleness with sinners. When we are humble and gentle like Jesus we are positioned as conduits of his love to those who do not know him. As we disciple new believers, our patience and love toward them models what it means to be a Jesus follower. Let us set a goal for ourselves to be the gentle whisper of God to others as we carry forward our mandate as disciple-makers.
