Thursday Matters

Everyday Tenderhearted

I know God’s best for us is to forgive and be tenderhearted to one another like God does for us as Ephesians 4:32 reminds us. But knowing and living it out are two different things. Jesus calls us to be kind and tenderhearted toward everyone, even to those we don’t like. That’s hard when someone hurts us. But Romans 12:9 is clear; “Let your love be genuine and outdo one another in showing honor.” Personal, political, religious, and any other type “opponents” should be treated with kindness. This means assuming the best, and not the worst, of difficult people. Forgiveness doesn’t release the one who’s hurt you, it releases you. And often forgiveness is a process. There are times I forgive but then I pick up the offense again because I’m triggered by an event.

Having a tender heart is the willingness to see the pain from the point of view from the other person’s perspective and see them as God does. This only can happen through the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer. Healing comes when we allow God’s grace into our struggles…everyday.