Tough AND tender

Yay 5 minute Friday! Though technically now the clock has ticked over to Saturday but it is still Friday in the US.

This week’s prompt is Tender.

The task: Write for 5 minutes, easy peasy.

Tough AND tender

Men are ‘supposed’ to be tough, strong, keeping it together. They can also be aggressive and violent, bullies.

Jesus taught us a better way. He was fully man and He was tough – having massive nails hammered through your wrists ain’t for wimps! But He was also tender. Jesus wept (John 11:35).

Jesus loved others deeply and felt their pain.

Imitating Christ

Jesus has called me to follow Him. This means not only doing stuff outwardly like He would do (which is difficult enough), but also being like Him at my core, having compassion as He does, caring for others as He does, seeking God’s glory as He does.

Over the years of my attempting to follow Jesus, He has changed me. He has changed my dreams – I used to want to be great at something, to make a mark – now what I want to be when I grow up is a wise old man who has a tender heart as Jesus does.

My ambition is sanctioned by Peter

Peter confrims that this is a worthy goal:

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
(1 Peter 3:8 ESV)

Stop

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Image of man weeping: onepony (iStock)

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