Thursday; November 8

          I am not sure when the trend began, but I am noticing that our world is getting noisier.  Sportscasters tend to yell at us to draw attention to the scores.  News shows are filled with people talking over each other in an effort to sway us to their opinion.  Even restaurants appear to think that playing loud music and stopping serving so their wait staff can line dance will help them sell more steak.  It seems like people believe that the bigger and brasher the effort the more of an impact it will have on us.
          Interestingly, religion can to struggle with this, too.  We are tempted to have louder, more spirited services that focus on attention-getting techniques.  Religious debates often deteriorate into who can be the loudest voice spritzing the most venom.  Yet, bigger is not always more impressive.  When the Lord was trying to get Elijah’s attention, He tried an unorthodox approach – quietness.  God confronted His servant in this way, “Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.’” (I Kings 19:11-12).  As disciples, let’s not merely look for the presence of the Lord in some over-the-top revelation, let’s also look for His quiet, controlled work within us.  As leaders, let’s be willing to sit down with people in a relaxed, peaceful environment that promotes gentleness and personal contact.
          Let’s turn down the noise and elevate our ability to connect with people.  We just might be able to get into more people’s ears with a whisper than a shout.
         Think About It!

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