Tender Loving Care!

Today my message is entitled “Tender Loving Care!”
The main Scripture came from God a few weeks ago and my original thoughts were to look at the part of working to not be a burden. As the weeks went by, God took me to the other part of this passage that talks about being gentle like a mother with her child. I found my title in a devotional in “Our Daily Bread” sample edition.

My mother must have known I would turn out the way I have because she gave me a name which has the initials TLC – Tender Loving Care. God has given me this characteristic and I take that as a high priority in all the work God gives me.

Tender means to “be sensitive to emotions, other’s feelings; to be gentle.”
Loving means “a strong affection or liking for someone and feeling or expressing love.”
Care means “to look after, have concern for, a liking or regard for.”

So “tender loving care” involves being sensitive to others emotions, a desire for a relationship, and making the effort to look after them.

Molly’s poem ended with “So let’s keep working in our church until the resurrection.” Working implies “TLC” since we need that to really do a good job of serving God together.

Now let’s look at what God’s Word says of this characteristic of Christian people.

In this first passage, Paul uses the example of a mother caring for her child to help explain his giving the Thessalonians tender loving care.

1 Thess. 2: 6-13 NIV
6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you,
7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

John MacArthur, in his New Testament Commentary on 1 Thessalonians, tells us that “As mothers are absolutely and indisputably essential to the wellbeing of children, so spiritual leaders who minister with a mother’s gentleness, intimate affection, sacrificial love, and unselfish labor are essential for the health of the church.

Paul is making sure the people see the need for relationships and going further then is expected. He adds the part of not being a burden if you can work to provide for your own needs. This is all part of caring for others.

Then he uses the idea of a father’s role of encouragement, comforting and urging.

1 Thessalonians 2: 10-13 NIV
10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into His kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

We start our journey as babies in Christ and grow into mature Christians, serving God daily.

1 Peter 2:2-3 NIV
2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

An example of this is the story of the good Samaritan. He was the only one who helped the wounded man on the side of the rode.

Luke 10: 34 NIV
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.

Nelson’s Book of quotes states:
“The prophet Hosea says that we are linked to God with cords of love, cords that cannot be broken. The gentle cords of His eternal love bind all our hearts and hurts to Him.” (Nelson’s pg. 356)

Rev. William Secker is quoted: “It would be well if there were as great a similarity between the life of Christ and the life of Christians, as there is between a just copy and the original. What He was by nature , we should be by grace.

We need to consider what Jesus spent His life on earth doing. Showing us how to be tender, love unconditionally, and care for all people.

Now go out into the world around you and show “Tender Loving Care!”