Because your heart was tender, and you have humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard what I spoke against this place....I have also heard you, says the Lord. 2 Kings 22:19
I have felt extremely weary and have been tempted to harden my heart over the past week or two. Let's face it, hardening our hearts is easy to do, in fact, it is easier than staying tender. But the Lord reminded me of something He has said to me on countless occasions- His warriors have tender hearts. They refuse to allow theirs to become hard because they live a life that goes against the flow.
Spiritually speaking, a tender heart is the strongest heart. It is a threat to the darkness because it loves in the face of adversity. It stays vulnerable no matter what it is dealt and handles matters of life like a warrior of love. A tender heart is not a pushover or an enabler, but does what is best for the other person even if they ask for something else. A wise tender heart can set and adhere to healthy boundaries where abuse and unproductive behavior cannot stay. The one who has a tender heart can hear God best and his decisions will reflect that. He or she can love and care for others with true freedom from the "what if's." He or she can have healthy relationships where honest and loving feedback is given and received.
A hard heart is a fearful heart that has become so paralyzed by life that he/she has stopped accepting love from God and others and is full of anger, apathy and fear. A hard heart is a defeated one, full of lies and too hard to let the truth in. It an effort to keep out certain things or people, it keeps out the good as well as the bad. And it is easy to get that way when life presents one heartbreak after another. Not to mention, the habit to stuff feelings or finger point only increases the temptation to harden. Heartbreak hurts but hard-heartedness causes us to be even more miserable even longer. It separates and isolates community. The only relationships that survive are unhealthy ones where lots of pain and resentment stay.
It takes tenderness, humility and vulnerability to ask God and others for help. Only by facing the uncomfortable can we go from hard to tender - but God will walk the willing down that path.
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 1 Peter 3:8
There are reasons for staying tender, but the most important one is this- It is obedient and honorable to the Lord. A tender heart pleases Him and I have seen His fierce protection firsthand over His tender hearted children. We don't have to wall up to look out for ourselves when the King of the world is so protective over us. When we are where He wants us, doing what He asks of us, we are in the safest place.
See, the enemy loves for us to think God doesn't care so that we will stop caring too. That should tell us that caring and loving are threats to him. The enemy loves for us to take the bait and harden because it renders us useless as warriors and takes us off the spiritual battlefield. We have a choice in the matter to be courageous and stay tender or to let our fears drown us into submission.
Staying tender-hearted is a battle for us because there are so many opportunities to harden. It is a lifelong struggle and probably the biggest struggle we have in our walk with Christ. But we have to keep on the course to developing a heart like His if we are going to walk the walk meant for us.
Jennifer, This is beautiful. Very well said! I think this is very important for all of us to remember and practice in our lives. To keep our hearts Tender is very important part of our walk with our Lord...I never thought about like this before...But it is a answer to my prayers and understanding. Thank you for sharing and writhing this....God Bless you!
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