Discerning Which Voice is Speaking
1 Kings 19:11-12 - 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.
As we finish off our series on the juicy life we are focused on gentleness. In a world that values strength, it’s surprising to see an all-powerful God choose to be known for tenderness. We see this juxtaposition of God’s restrained strength play out with Elijah.
Elijah was an Old Testament prophet that had a confrontation with people who worshipped an idol called Baal. Baal was known as the storm god. In a showdown between the two sides, Baal worshippers called on their god to send fire to consume a sacrifice. After waiting for hours with no response, Elijah stepped up and called fire down from God, and God immediately answered with fire.
Today the showdowns we face look a bit different than the one Elijah faced with the followers of Baal. Most of our battles occur within ourselves. Our inner critic can bring on a storm of negative thoughts like ‘we are not enough’ or ‘we are not worthy of love’. First Kings 19:11-12 tells us God wasn’t to be found in destructive forces. He won’t be found in destructive thoughts. God was instead found in a gentle whisper.
As those negative stories occasionally come to mind, I would encourage you to consider that perhaps God is not found in those stories. It’s worth questioning if it’s consistent with what a loving, accepting God would say. Discerning our own broken recordings is the first step to embracing God’s gentleness toward us.
I invite you to reflect on this prayer.
God, help me recognize the difference between the voice of my inner critic and your still small voice that embraces and guides me. May I prioritize gentleness and understanding over noise and chaos. May I nurture kindness toward myself and others.