The North Wind and the Sun had a quarrel about which of them was the stronger. While they were disputing with much heat and bluster, a Traveler passed along the road wrapped in a cloak.
“Let us agree,” said the Sun, “that he is the stronger who can strip that Traveler of his cloak.”
“Very well,” growled the North Wind, and at once sent a cold, howling blast against the Traveler.
With the first gust of wind the ends of the cloak whipped about the Traveler’s body. But he immediately wrapped it closely around him, and the harder the Wind blew, the tighter he held it to him. The North Wind tore angrily at the cloak, but all his efforts were in vain.
Then the Sun began to shine. At first his beams were gentle, and in the pleasant warmth after the bitter cold of the North Wind, the Traveler unfastened his cloak and let it hang loosely from his shoulders. The Sun’s rays grew warmer and warmer. The man took off his cap and mopped his brow. At last he became so heated that he pulled off his cloak, and, to escape the blazing sunshine, threw himself down in the welcome shade of a tree by the roadside.
The moral of the story is that gentleness and kind persuasion achieve what force and bluster cannot. The lesson here is that it is more effective to warm someone’s heart with love than to try to control them with anger or force.
Is our Heavenly Father like the wind or the sun? The Bible tells us that it is God’s love that draws us to Him (1 John 4:19), and His kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). I believe this principle also applies in our relationships with others. When we love others with patience and selflessness, we foster unity and understanding, rather than engaging in conflict or trying to force them to agree with us or treat us a certain way.
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**Parable By Aesop and conclusion by Bobby McDonald at NCCF Church based on article: Difficult People / Pictures by Library of Congress
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