So often I find myself saying something to my 3 year old son that touches me in a different context than that in which I was stating it to him – and almost always it’s something that the Lord must have known that I myself needed to hear. I love that about God’s truth… it can be spoken and understood in ways that might not be what we could have anticipated and, yet, when it strikes, it’s unmistakably something we need to take note of, reflect upon and pray about as we sense the Holy Spirit stirring within.
Yesterday morning, one of those instances occurred…
It was about 7am and I was washing dishes at the kitchen sink. There is a cutout above the sink where a window used to be, which overlooks our living room as the living room was built on as an addition several years after the house was initially constructed. Looking out into the play area directly on the other side of the cutout, I saw some toys strewn about. My son then grabbed his container of dinosaurs and was about to dump them out to play with them when I said, “Hey, Warren, please clean up your food first before getting all your dinos out.” He instantly responded, “Okay, mom” and started cleaning up his plastic food. (It does not always go this smoothly haha, but I was thankful this particular morning was easy).
He proceeded to grab one of his plastic pieces of food and tried to toss it in, but missed, so he placed it into the bin more carefully. Then he grabbed the plastic corn cob and attempted to toss it in, as well, but the bin was so full that it bounced off of some other toy and landed on the floor. He grabbed it again and tossed it into the bin, but again it bounced off of something else. For a third time, he tried to just throw the corn cob into the bin and, sure enough, it ultimately landed on the floor in front of the bin. At this point, it was getting painful to watch so I suggested, “Gentle, honey. It’s only gonna work if it’s done gently.” Sure enough, when he gently placed each piece of toy food into the bin, it stayed right where he was intentionally putting it.
After I said that, as I stood at the sink, I reflected that the Lord might be telling me that same message. Gentle. How often am I trying to “throw” something, as good or helpful as I think it may be, at someone hoping that it sticks and lands where and how I think it should? If you know or love someone who maybe doesn’t know the Lord at all yet, or whose walk isn’t in stride with Him in a way that detriments their life in some way that is seemingly so obvious from the outside looking in… you sometimes wish you could just say the right thing, or perhaps if you tell them enough times or in just the right way, the outcome you think is best will result. But you do and then… nothing happens. Or, perhaps something does, but it’s only for a brief period of time and it doesn’t stick because they’re only doing it to appease you. Or maybe it’s even defiance or rebellion in the completely opposite direction.
Real change, true life and soul altering change in the spiritual sense happens only when the Holy Spirit moves and stirs within. Even if I discern some areas where someone else (or even I myself) can live more fully and freely for the Lord, I can play my custom-tailored sermonette for their life on repeat until my voice box gives out, but without the Spirit’s involvement, no one’s life is impacted for His glory and purpose. We can do our part, but are ultimately so dependent on Him!
As I continued to wash dishes, I then thought about how the Lord chose to appear to Elijah in 1 Kings 19. To say that Elijah’s life was in utmost danger is probably still putting it lightly. In verse 10, Elijah says that the Israelites – yes, God’s chosen people – have not only rejected God’s covenant and torn down His altars, but they have put the prophets to death by the sword. He states that he is the only one left and that, now, they are trying to kill him, too.
Here is what verses 11-13 say:
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Elijah was familiar enough with the Lord that he could identify when the Lord was trying to get his attention. He was also aware, expectant, and listening for Him. And the Lord did not do it through the powerful winds, through the earthquake, through the fire… but through a “gentle whisper.”
As I considered this verse, this thought came barreling into my brain:
“How often am I being the wind, the earthquake, the fire? And, if I don’t stop, how can _______ even have the ability to hear that gentle whisper from the Lord when it comes?!”
Wow. The thought hit me. Am I truly trusting the Lord? Am I trusting that He will move in the lives of others in the way only He can, or am I trying to continually preach the same things over and over to no avail because my words are not what will ultimately create a change. Jesus doesn’t bash us over the head; he was the one who was bashed and bruised and bloodied and buried – the Lamb love example for His people.
Knowing Jesus in a personal way is transformational, experiencing the Lord in your life is transformational, being a vessel for the Spirit is transformational. But not all transformations are quick… most are quite the process. Repeatedly being humbled, repeated acknowledgement of sinful action or attitude, repeated surrender… and (praise God) repeated experiencing of His grace! “Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more.” (Romans 5:20)
When the Lord chooses to speak or to move, it is powerful but it is not always through a megaphone, a microphone… most often is not heard through the auditory sense at all if we are getting literal here.
Am I allowing the space in someone’s life that is required for the stillness and quietness that is so often necessary for the Lord’s whisper to be heard? For them to sense that still, small voice? Or am I, even with the best of intentions and trying to relay Truth, only being part of all the noise in such a way that the Spirit needs to shout to truly be heard? Am I allowing my frustration at not seeing the fruit I am praying for to impact my own walk with the Lord or my trust in His goodness, provision, love and answers in His timing?
I grabbed a plate. Gently. And as I took hold of it, so another scripture took hold in my mind.
1 Peter 3:1-2 states, “Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.”
I know, sometimes this chunk of scripture gets some flack because for some reason some Christians have a hard time with that word “submit”…. which blows my mind because we are called to submit our entire lives unto the Lord. I also realize that this scripture has been abused many times in the past. But that doesn’t make it any less God’s Word. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak. (That said, I’d be lying if I said that my pride and independence and selfishness didn’t get in the way of me living this out very well sometimes.)
The part of this scripture that I was thinking about was, again, that idea of being pure and reverent… and this idea of gentleness. It is stated that people, one’s husband specifically in the verse, can be won over without words. They can be won over by behavior. But is it my behavior that saves someone else? No… not on its own, anyway. Of course, only when someone accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior are they saved. But my behavior, according to this verse, can help to lead someone to this end.
And what kind of behavior is that? Being an example in how I live, of course, but what specifically was God speaking to my heart as I was washing dishes?
Gentleness. A fruit of the Spirit according to Galatians 5:22. A proof, if you will, of the Spirit dwelling within. The cool thing about fruit is that it’s not always just the end result. We say that our lives bear fruit, and sometimes even think of fruits of the Spirit, as the end game. That it’s the end product and no more. But the amazing thing about fruit, and why I love this analogy, is that seeds are also embedded within. Fruit is not simply an end, but is a blessing unto others and could be the beginning of even more works and movement of the Spirit, seeds planted and fruits growing beyond those which we directly bear ourselves.
The Lord speaks in many ways, in the right way at the right time. Even through the very words I’m speaking to my son about how to more effectively clean up his toys. We just have to be listening and also intentionally allowing the space in our lives, and in the lives of others, to hear Him.
For me, this means more gentleness. More prayer, more quiet. So that others can more readily sense the Spirit, and so that I can, too.
Philippians 4:5,
HLC
sacred strokes 