Shhhhhh....

He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. Matthew 12:19

This will probably sound like I am being an old man or old fashioned but, have you noticed in today’s world a person does not have to be right anymore?  Instead, they just have to be the loudest.  We all probably noticed this during the latest political campaigns and it is on display every night on the national news.  People no longer discuss a disagreement, listen, or even argue over a topic with respect.  If one person is absolutely correct about an issue, the other person can just be louder and drown out the correct voice.  I see this in school sometimes also.  When two students have had a disagreement and are called together to discuss the problem there is always one student who will speak the loudest and be the most dramatic.  Young people have not figured this out yet, but the loudest is usually the guilty person.  Be loud, dramatic, and boisterous and you will convince your audience that you are correct.  That does not mean we should not be passionate about our beliefs, feelings, or our stance on an issue.  I have also learned, as a coach, I do not have to be the loudest.  I can talk in an intense or stern way and players will sense that a topic or situation is important to me.  They would hear me if I was loud but they will listen if they know I am right and I care about their success.

If two people are discussing a topic, and one is correct and the other is wrong, the wrong person can simply talk much louder, drown out the other, and the crowd may even begin to believe the loudmouth.  Throughout scripture Jesus is loud on occasion but it is always to point people to His Father and others are loud when they are calling out to Him for mercy.  But we also read in Mark 15:14 as Pilate asks the crowd, “What crime has He committed?” but the crowd shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”.  The crowd was wrong but they shouted louder until everyone began to follow.

Don’t always listen to the loudest and remember that God still speaks to us in a still and quiet voice.  In Matthew 12:19 the prophet Isaiah is being quoted when he says, “He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear His voice in the streets”.  We will not hear His voice over the loudspeaker but we can hear His voice in our hearts and minds if we listen. It is His voice that reminds you that you are not alone, even when you are by yourself.  It is His quiet voice that gives you the words to say to a friend who is experiencing a difficult time, and it His voice that can still be heard over all the other loud voices of this world.

Chad