Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .
t e n d e r H E A R T ( 2 RELATED PHRASES )
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The phrase 'tender heart' appears 40 times in the published writings of EGW page not on Original site Related phrase: tender hearted ( ) ( below )
| God inspired holy men to record for our benefit instruction concerning these dangers that beset our salvation, and how to escape them. The great needs of the soul will be felt upon becoming acquainted with God’s word. The Bible declares that obedience to all God’s commandments is essential to our salvation. It teaches us our duty to him, and his will concerning us. We are pointed to the cross of Calvary, and the voice of God says, Look in faith upon Him whom your sins have pierced, and live. Direct the eye of faith to the Lamb of God, and the sins that bruised the blessed body and broke the tender heart of God’s dear Son will become hateful and abhorrent. The heart must realize its sins and repent of them. If there is faith in the pardoning blood of Jesus, who is full of compassion and divine love, gratitude and heavenly joy will fill the heart. Confidence in the power of Christ to save will steal into the soul, and thoughts of heavenly things will fill the mind. Jesus, precious Jesus, will become the chief among ten thousand, and the one altogether lovely. Have we individually opened the door of our hearts to welcome the blessed Redeemer? If we have, we shall find no satisfaction in feeding upon husks; for we feast with Christ, and he feasts with us. Nothing more is wanted for the soul’s comfort or salvation. { RH November 9, 1886, par. 15 }
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The great apostle Paul was firm where duty and principle were at stake; he preached Christ with great boldness; but he was never harsh and impolite. He had a tender heart, and was ever kind and thoughtful of others. Courtesy was a marked trait of his character, and this gave him access to the better class of society.... { ML 193.2 } also { RH September 8, 1885, par. 3 } |
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| Desponding soul, take courage, even though you have done wickedly. Do not think that perhaps God will pardon your transgressions and permit you to come into His presence. God has made the first advance. While you were in rebellion against Him, He went forth to seek you. With the tender heart of the shepherd He left the ninety and nine and went out into the wilderness to find that which was lost. The soul, bruised and wounded and ready to perish, He encircles in His arms of love and joyfully bears it to the fold of safety. { COL 188.3}
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He was courteous and sympathetic. When every seat in the house was full, and the platform and places about the pulpit seemed overcrowded, I have seen him leave the desk, and walk down the aisle, and take some feeble old man or woman by the hand and find a seat for them, then return and resume his discourse. He was indeed rightly called “Father Miller,” for he had a watchful care over those who came under his ministrations, was affectionate in his manner, of a genial disposition and tender heart. { CET 23.1 } also { LS 27.2} |
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He was courteous and sympathetic. When every seat in the house was full, and the platform and places about the pulpit seemed crowded, I have seen him leave the desk and walk down the aisle, and take some feeble old man or woman by the hand and find a seat for them, then return and resume his discourse. He was indeed rightly called Father Miller, for he had a watchful care over those who came under his ministrations, was affectionate in his manner, of a genial disposition and tender heart. { 1T 21.3} |
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| “During the meeting her tender heart had been moved to seek the Saviour. She had heard that nothing must be withheld from Jesus; that nothing short of an entire surrender of ourselves and all we have would be acceptable with him. The little parasol was the child’s earthly treasure upon which her heart was set, and, in the struggle to give it up to the Lord, she had passed through a trial keener perhaps than that of the mature Christian, who sacrifices this world’s treasures for the sake of Christ. { LS80 141.4 }
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If Brother G had received the light that the Lord sent him months ago and had frankly conversed with his wife, if both had broken their hard hearts before the Lord, how different would be their present state. They both slighted the words of reproof and entreaty of the Spirit of God, and did not reform their lives. But closing their eyes to the light God had sent them did not make one of their faults less grievous in the sight of God nor lessen their accountability. They have hated the reproof which the Lord in pitying tenderness gave them. Brother G has naturally a kind and tender heart, but it is crusted over with self-love, vanity, and evil surmising. His heart is not callous, but he lacks moral power. He is a coward as soon as the necessity of self-denial and self-sacrifice is brought before him, for he loves himself. To control self, to put a watch upon his words, to acknowledge that he has done wrong or spoken wrongly, is a cross which he feels is too humiliating to lift; and yet if he is ever saved this cross must be lifted. { 4T 242.2} |
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| Among God’s people today there is a fearful lack of the sympathy that should be felt for souls unsaved. We talk of Christian missions. The sound of our voices is heard; but do we feel Christ’s tender heart longing for those outside the fold? And unless our hearts beat in union with the heart of Christ, how can we understand the sacredness and importance of the work to which we are called by the words: “Watch for ... souls, as they that must give account”? Hebrews 13:17. { 7T 13.2} also { RH January 20, 1903, par. 2 }
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Among professing Christians of today there is a fearful lack of the sympathy that should be felt for souls unsaved. Unless our hearts beat in unison with the heart of Christ, how can we understand the sacredness and importance of the work to which we are called by the words: “Watch for ... souls, as they that must give account”? We talk of Christian missions. The sound of our voices is heard, but do we feel Christ’s tender heart-longing for souls? { 9T 45.1} |
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T E N D E R H E A R T e d
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The phrase 'tender hearted' appears 52 times in the published writings of EGW
| And yet, with the lessons of Christ’s life before them, how many who claim to be his followers, fail to be tender-hearted, forgiving, and full of love and compassion. In the hardness of their own hearts, in the iron-like stubbornness of their own will, they wound and bruise the souls for whom Christ has died. If they think a brother has erred, they are severe toward him, not remembering that they themselves are in constant need of God’s mercy. They pass lightly over things in themselves that are grievous in the sight of God, but censure without mercy those whom they think blamable. How differently does God deal with the sinner; he forgives transgression and sin. He loved us, and gave himself for us. What does it mean that such hardness of heart is manifested among the professed children of God? It is an offense to God; for it misrepresents his character. { RH June 30, 1891, par. 12 } also { PH089 16.1 }
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The powers of darkness stand a poor chance against believers who love one another as Christ has loved them, who refuse to create alienation and strife, who stand together, who are kind, courteous, and tender-hearted, cherishing the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. We must have the Spirit of Christ, or we are none of His. { OFC 36.4} also { SD 286.4} |
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| The Lord is good. He is merciful and tender-hearted. He is acquainted with every one of His children. He knows just what each one of us is doing. He knows just how much credit to give to each one. Will you not lay down your credit list and your condemnation list, and leave God to do His own work? You will be given the crown of glory if you will attend to the work that God has given you.— The Southern Watchman, May 14, 1903. { ChS 268.3}
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What a busy life He led! Day by day He might have been seen entering the humble abodes of want and sorrow, speaking hope to the downcast and peace to the distressed. Gracious, tender-hearted, pitiful, He went about lifting up the bowed-down and comforting the sorrowful. Wherever He went, He carried blessing. { GW 45.3} |
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| The Lord is good. He is merciful and tender-hearted. He is acquainted with every one of His children. He knows just what each one of us is doing. He knows just how much credit to give to each one. Will you not lay down your credit list and your condemnation list, and leave God to do His own work? You will be given the crown of glory if you will attend to the work that God has given you. { GCB April 14, 1903, par. 46 }
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It is always safe to be meek and lowly and tender hearted, but at the same time we are to be as firm as a rock to the teachings of Christ. His words of instruction are to be strictly heeded. Not one word is to be lost sight of. The truth will abide forever. We are not to place our trust in any lie or pretense. Those who do this will find that it has been done at the loss of eternal life. We are now to make straight paths for our feet, lest the lame be turned out of the way. When the lame are turned from safe paths, who is accountable but those who have misled them? They set at naught the counsel of the One whose words are life eternal, for the works of deception originating with the father of lies. { GCB June 1, 1909, par. 14 } |
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| “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.” { HM July 1, 1897, Art. B, par. 4 }
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“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” What an appeal is this! and we should heed it if we expect the forgiveness of God for our sins. We must have the mind of Christ, and forgive just as freely the sins of others. { RH December 18, 1888, par. 11 } |
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| When we are closely united to Christ, our self-confidence will disappear. Our self-important words will be left unspoken. We shall humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. We shall pray, we shall believe, we shall be kind and true and tender-hearted, loving one another as Christ has loved us. Unkind criticism will die when we live the truth. { PUR June 5, 1902, par. 7 }
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If we are acquainted with Christ here, we shall be kind and courteous, tender-hearted, forbearing, patient. I entreat you to sow to the Spirit. Every temptation resisted, will give you power to sow to the Spirit in another time of trial. But I ask, How do your conflicts result now? Are you without a vital connection with Christ? If so, you will be overcome by the flesh, and the warfare between the flesh and the Spirit will terminate in defeat to the Spirit. You will lean to self-indulgence, to self-gratification. O, take hold of Christ’s strength, and make peace with him! Then you will be enabled to practice self-denial, and to sow to the Spirit. I point you to the cross of Calvary. The path from the manger to Calvary is marked with the foot-prints of self-denial. Who of you are willing to become partakers with Christ of his sufferings? “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” “For your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” We should be just as willing to bear shame, reproach, and suffering for the Majesty of heaven, as he was to endure the cross for us. { RH May 5, 1891, par. 11 } |
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| Men may speak fluently upon doctrines, and may express strong faith in theories, but do they possess Christian-like meekness and love? If they reveal a harsh, critical spirit, they are denying Christ. If they are not kind, tender-hearted, longsuffering, they are not like Jesus; they are deceiving their own souls. A spirit contrary to the love, humility, meekness, and gentleness of Christ, denies him, whatever may be the profession. We deny Christ when we speak evil one of another. We deny him in foolish talking, in jesting, and joking. We deny him when we have a foolish spirit, criticising our brethren. We deny him in seeking to be first, seeking honor one of another. We may deny Christ in outward appearance, by gratifying a proud heart, by lifting up the soul unto vanity, by uncourteous behaviour. { RH February 9, 1892, par. 15 }
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Those who are chosen of God and found faithful will be heavenly-minded. Their affection will not be bound within four walls, will not be centered simply upon their own family; but they will impart to others the gracious influence that has been cherished in their own hearts and manifested in their lives. By studying and copying the life of Christ, they will constantly enlarge the circle of their interests, and their estimate of Jesus and his matchless love will be ever increased. Loving Christ, they will love those for whom Christ died. They will heed the injunction of the apostle, where he says, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” { RH July 18, 1893, par. 10 } |
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| God admonishes his people: “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.” { RH September 21, 1897, par. 9 }
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