Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;" 1 Peter 3:8.

Here we are back at 1 Peter 3:8, the first time we examined "unity in sympathy" and last time we examined compassion. Is there something about being tenderhearted that takes in more than being sympathetic and compassionate? The King James Bible translates the Greek word as being pitiful. When I looked up the word pity I found one definition that I believe really fits, "feel for." It takes in concepts from sympathy and compassion, but it also means tenderhearted. That is a heart that is easily touched by others.

Have you ever been down and had people come to you? There is one that tries to jolly out of your depression. There is the one who comes telling you that it could be worse. There is the one who tells you to keep a stiff upper lip, pull yourself up by your boot straps. There is the one who tells you that it is a sin against God to be depressed. There is the one who tells you that you shouldn’t feel that way. And then there is the one who comes to you and sits with you and listens to you.

One of my collage professors, Dr. Thomas, told me about a funeral he had conducted for an elderly lady. Her husband of sixty years sat and watched as the keepers came to bury the casket. The old man’s children tried to get him to leave, his grand kids tried, too. Still the old man sat.

Dr Thomas went and sat next to him for a long time and then he said to the old man, come, I’ll walk with you. With than the old man got up and walked to the waiting car.

Several years later, Dr Thomas was visiting in the hospital and he saw the old man. He asked him if her remembered him and the old man said, "Yes, you’re the man who walked with me." In that little space of time, Dr Thomas showed sympathy, compassion, and a tender heart, he was pitiful toward that old man. In the story about the Smalley family and puff the cat, Gary proved that he had a very tender heart. He showed more concern for the members of his family and their needs then he did for himself. He was able to show his love, compassion, and sympathy toward them even though they were too caught up in their own misery to be tenderhearted toward him.

Be tenderhearted. "We become vulnerable when we love people and go out of our way to help them." (A good definition of being tender hearted) That's what the wealthy industrialist Charles Schwab declared after going to court and winning a nuisance suit at age 70. Given permission by the judge to speak to the audience, he made the following statement: "I'd like to say here in a court of law, and speaking as an old man, that nine-tenths of my troubles are traceable to my being kind to others. Look, you young people, if you want to steer away from trouble, be hard-boiled. Be quick with a good loud no to anyone and everyone. If you follow this rule, you will seldom be bothered as you tread life's pathway. Except you'll have no friends, you'll be lonely, and you won't have any fun!" Schwab had made his point -- being tenderhearted may bring heartache, but it's worth it!