The Spirit Makes Us Tenderhearted
Month 10: Loving One Another · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: Galatians 5:25 & Ephesians 4:30-32
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. — Galatians 5:25
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you. — Ephesians 4:30-32
Memory Verse
“Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.”— Ephesians 4:32 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Luke 9–10
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time.The Heart of It
Have you ever tried with all your might to not be annoyed at a brother or sister, and failed within minutes? Forgiveness and tenderness aren't things we can manufacture by willpower. They are fruit, and fruit grows from a life. That's why Paul says, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (). The Holy Spirit is given to everyone who belongs to Jesus. He is the One who actually softens a hard heart. Left to ourselves, our hearts go cold and defensive. But the Spirit makes us tenderhearted. We grow quick to feel for others. Quick to forgive. Slow to keep score.
Look at the warning tucked right beside our memory verse. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God" (). The Spirit is a Person. So our bitterness, our shouting, and our cold grudges actually grieve Him. They make Him sad, like hurting a friend who loves you. But the same Spirit who is grieved by harshness delights to grow kindness in us. So walking in the Spirit isn't gritting your teeth harder. It is staying close to Jesus. It is keeping in step with the Spirit moment by moment. It is asking Him to do in you what you cannot do yourself. When you feel anger rising, you can pray right there, "Holy Spirit, soften my heart." That is real Pentecostal living. We depend on God's Spirit, not on our own strength, for the everyday work of loving our family.
Around the Table
The Holy Spirit helps make your heart soft and kind, not hard and grumpy. Just ask Him!
Let's do it: Squeeze a hard fist for a hard heart. Then pat your chest gently and pray, "Holy Spirit, make my heart soft."
We can't force ourselves to be kind. The Spirit grows kindness in us when we walk with Him.
Let's talk: What does it mean that our grumpiness can actually make the Holy Spirit sad (Eph. 4:30)?
"Keep in step with the Spirit" means daily, moment-by-moment dependence. It is not a one-time event. The fruit of kindness and tenderness grows as we stay close to Him.
Let's go deeper: What's the difference between trying to be tenderhearted and depending on the Spirit to make you tenderhearted?
💬 Conversation Starter
When you feel anger bubbling up, what's a quick prayer you could whisper to the Holy Spirit right in that moment?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
The change the Spirit brings is something you can see. Countless people tell the same story. Through Christ, hard hearts have softened. Addictions have broken. Enemies have been forgiven. Changed lives across history and cultures are evidence that the gospel's power is no mere idea ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Classic Pentecostal teaching holds that the Holy Spirit doesn't just visit believers. He lives in them and empowers them for a transformed life, including the unglamorous grace of being tenderhearted at home. But note the lane. This isn't about chasing emotional highs or sensational signs. As Sam Storms reminds us, "character is always more important than gifting." The truest evidence of a Spirit-filled father is not goosebumps in worship. It is a soft heart toward a child who keeps failing. It is the fruit of the Spirit lived out at the kitchen table. So examine yourself honestly. Am I trying to white-knuckle patience and kindness? Or am I actually asking to be filled and keeping in step with the Spirit daily? You cannot lead your children into a Spirit-dependent life you aren't living. Begin each morning surrendered. Ask the Helper to make you tenderhearted before the day's first conflict arrives.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Pentecost; and Sam Storms, Understanding Spiritual Gifts.
Let's Pray Together
"Holy Spirit, we can't make our own hearts soft. Please grow kindness and tenderness in us. Help us keep in step with You all day. We don't want to grieve You. We want to walk with You. In Jesus' name, amen."
A soft, forgiving heart isn't something I produce. It's fruit the Spirit grows.