God gives strength to the weak and He gives tenderness to the harsh. It is not as difficult for a person who is weak to admit his/her need for strength, but those who are harsh are very slow to admit their need to be tender. In fact, cultures often demean tenderness, especially in men.
Tenderness is manifested in...
Attitude (what we are),
Action (what we do) and
Articulation (what we say).
The harsh person may fake tenderness with some people for a while, but their true self will rise up and show itself. Temporary and Pretended tenderness wears off and eventually reveals the true person.
Tenderness is not optional, it is essential to the Christian experience. It is important for everyone to ask Jesus to forgive them, cleanse them and transform them into tenderhearted people. Tenderheartedness comes miraculously to the harsh, if they are willing to fall before God and ask Him to search them, know them and transform them.
Everyone wants to be strong, few want to be tenderhearted. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are tender, and those who are serious with God will also be tenderhearted.
GOD IS TENDER TOWARDS ALL PEOPLE
Psalms 145:8-9
(8) The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
(9) The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
SALVATION COMES FROM THE TENDER MERCIES OF GOD.
Luke 1:77-79
(77) To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
(78) Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
(79) To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
BELIEVERS ARE EXHORTED TO BE TENDERHEARTED TOWARD ONE ANOTHER.
Ephesians 4:31-32
(31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
(32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
TENDERNESS IS PREPARATION FOR CHRIST' RETURN AND IT IS EMULATION OF GODLY PEOPLE.
James 5:8-10
(8) Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
(9) Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
(10) Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
My observation is that harshness and conceit often go together. Harsh people do not see themselves as responsible for the suffering and destruction they leave in their paths. They blame other people for being weak or being oversensitive, while excusing their hardheartedness. Contrition and restitution are appropriate, but rarely manifested characteristics in people who have proudly downtrodden other folks. Usually, the longer they go without humbling themselves and making things right with those they have hurt, offended, the more blind they become to their own problem and need for grace.
Tenderness is not optional, it is essential to the Christian experience. It is important for everyone to ask Jesus to forgive them, cleanse them and transform them into tenderhearted people. Tenderheartedness comes miraculously to the harsh, if they are willing to fall before God and ask Him to search them, know them and transform them.
Everyone wants to be strong, few want to be tenderhearted. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are tender, and those who are serious with God will also be tenderhearted.
GOD IS TENDER TOWARDS ALL PEOPLE
Psalms 145:8-9
(8) The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
(9) The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
SALVATION COMES FROM THE TENDER MERCIES OF GOD.
Luke 1:77-79
(77) To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
(78) Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
(79) To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
BELIEVERS ARE EXHORTED TO BE TENDERHEARTED TOWARD ONE ANOTHER.
Ephesians 4:31-32
(31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
(32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
TENDERNESS IS PREPARATION FOR CHRIST' RETURN AND IT IS EMULATION OF GODLY PEOPLE.
James 5:8-10
(8) Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
(9) Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
(10) Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
My observation is that harshness and conceit often go together. Harsh people do not see themselves as responsible for the suffering and destruction they leave in their paths. They blame other people for being weak or being oversensitive, while excusing their hardheartedness. Contrition and restitution are appropriate, but rarely manifested characteristics in people who have proudly downtrodden other folks. Usually, the longer they go without humbling themselves and making things right with those they have hurt, offended, the more blind they become to their own problem and need for grace.
