Discover Real Strength

When I was a girl I read the Aesop fable about the Sun and the North Wind having a contest. The North Wind boasted that it had great strength. The Sun argued that there was greater power in gentleness. So they decided to have a contest.

Far below, a man traveled wearing a warm winter coat. “As a test of strength,” said the Sun, “Let us see which of us can take the coat off of that man.”

“That will be simple for me,” bragged the Wind. The Wind blew so hard, the birds clung to the trees. But the harder the wind blew down the road, the tighter the shivering man clung to his coat.

Then, the Sun came out from behind a cloud. The Sun warmed the air and the frosty ground. The man on the road unbuttoned his coat.

The sun slowly grew brighter and brighter.

Soon the man felt so hot, he took off his coat and sat down in a shady spot.

This story reminds me of a friend who had wandered from the Lord. When she returned to Christ, we asked what brought her back. She said it was not those who challenged her life style and tried to fill her with guilt. It was hearing God say, “I love you.”

God woos us through kindness. “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4). It’s good to remember that when we see someone we love going the wrong way spiritually that love is more powerful than any words we say that do not convey love.

Thank You, Lord, that You do not wait until we have sufficiently repented to express Your love for us.

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8).