A Tender Heart
A tender heart is essential for a complete and righteous life, and it is characterized by a superhuman and heavenly behavior that instinctively avoids wounding others' feelings and wins opponents by seeming to let them have their way.
G.D. Watson preaches about the importance of having tenderness of spirit in our Christian walk, emphasizing that without it, even the most righteous and religious life lacks the beauty and attractiveness of God. He highlights how some Christians may appear fruitful and zealous in their faith, but lack the deep, heart-piercing love that Jesus exemplified. Watson explains that divine tenderness of spirit goes beyond outward actions, influencing behavior, speech, and interactions with others, ultimately reflecting the compassionate and forgiving nature of Jesus.
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Without tenderness of spirit the most intensely righteous, religious life is like the image of God without His beauty and attractiveness. It is possible to be very religious, and stanch, and persevering in all Christian duties, even to be sanctified, and be a brave defender and preacher of holiness, to be mathematically orthodox, and blameless in outward life, and very zealous in good works, and yet to be greatly lacking in tenderness of spirit, that all-subduing, all melting love, which is the very cream of Heaven, and which streamed out from the eyes and voice of the Blessed Jesus.
Many Christians seem loaded with good fruits, but the fruit tastes green; it lacks flavor and October mellowness. There is a touch of vinegar in their sanctity. Their very purity has an icy coldness to it. Their testimonies are straight and definite, but they lack the melting quality. Their prayers are intelligent and strong and pointed, but they lack the heart-piercing pathos of the dying Jesus. The summer heat in them is lacking. They preach eloquently and explain with utmost nicety what is actual and original sin and what is pardon and purity, but they lack the burning flame, that interior furnace of throbbing love, that sighs and weeps and breaks down under the shivering heat of all-consuming love.
Divine tenderness of spirit has a behavior to it which is superhuman and heavenly. It instinctively avoids wounding the feelings of others by talking on unpleasant things, wrangling in an argumentative way, by referring to painful and mortifying subjects. It carries its point by ceasing to contend and wins its opponent by seeming to let him have his way. It cannot scold, or scowl, or threaten; it has lost the power of quarreling. Tenderness of spirit makes its home in the bosom of Jesus, and from that Holy Castle, looks out upon all other creatures, good and bad, through the hopeful, pleading medium of the Heart that was pierced on the cross. It feels all things from God's standpoint, and lives but to receive and transmit the spotless sympathies and affections of Jesus. It understands the words of the Holy Ghost, "Be ye tender hearted, forgiving one another." Tenderness must be in the very nature, and forgiveness is but the behavior of that nature.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Tenderness of Spirit
- Characteristics of a Tender Heart
- Behavior of a Tender Heart
- Avoids wounding others' feelings
- Wins opponents by seeming to let them have their way
- Lacks the heart-piercing pathos
- Lacks the burning flame of love
Key Quotes
“It is possible to be very religious, and stanch, and persevering in all Christian duties, even to be sanctified, and be a brave defender and preacher of holiness, to be mathematically orthodox, and blameless in outward life, and very zealous in good works, and yet to be greatly lacking in tenderness of spirit, that all-subduing, all melting love, which is the very cream of Heaven, and which streamed out from the eyes and voice of the Blessed Jesus.” — G.D. Watson
“Tenderness of spirit makes its home in the bosom of Jesus, and from that Holy Castle, looks out upon all other creatures, good and bad, through the hopeful, pleading medium of the Heart that was pierced on the cross.” — G.D. Watson
Application Points
- Make your home in the bosom of Jesus and live to receive and transmit the spotless sympathies and affections of Jesus.
- Avoid wounding others' feelings and win opponents by seeming to let them have their way.
- Develop a tender heart by living a life of love, forgiveness, and compassion.