The condition of our hearts...

I have been intrigued by a concept that reoccurs in my scripture reading, the state of our heart.  For instance, I read this morning that because peoples' hearts were hard, they were destroyed.

Now contrast that with so much of what we hear today:
-You need to be tough so no one can hurt you.
-Protect your heart.
-Don't be such a softie!
-They wear their heart on their sleeve.

We fear to give our hearts to others.  To open up ourselves feels vulnerable. To be tender-hearted may be smiled upon condescendingly, but never seems to be something that is celebrated as a strength.

Yet God repeatedly asks us for a broken heart, a contrite spirit. He asks us to soften our hearts.  Yet that seems so vulnerable!

It reminds me of a quote I read years ago in "The Road Less Travelled" by Peck:

 In a world crying out in desperate need for competence, an extraordinarily competent and loving person can no more withhold his or her competence than such a person could deny food to a hungry infant.

Spiritually evolved people, by virtue of their discipline, mastery and love, are people of extraordinary competence, and in their competence they are called on to serve the world, and in their love they answer the call.

They are inevitably, therefore, people of great power, although the world may generally behold them as quite ordinary people, since more often than not they will exercise their power in quiet or even hidden ways. Nonetheless, exercise power they do, and in this exercise they suffer greatly, even dreadfully. For to exercise power is to make decisions, and the process of making decisions with total awareness if often infinitely more painful than making decisions with limited or blunted awareness. Imagine two generals, each having to decide whether or not to commit a division of ten thousand men to battle. To one the division is but a thing, a unit of personnel, an instrument of strategy and nothing more. To the other it is these things, but he is also aware of each and every one of the ten thousand lives and the lives of the families of each of the ten thousand. For whom is the decision easier?

It is easier for the general who has blunted his awareness precisely because he cannot tolerate the pain of a more nearly complete awareness. It may be tempting to say, "Ah, but a spiritually evolved man would never become a general in the first place." But the same issue is involved in being a corporation president, a physician, a teacher, a parent.

Decisions affecting the lives of others must always be made. The best decision-makers are those who are willing to suffer the most over their decisions but still retain their ability to be decisive. One measure—and perhaps the best measure—of a person's greatness is the capacity for suffering. Yet the great are also joyful.

 To love, to soften our heart, to open ourselves to love and be loved by others, to be accepted or rejected by others can hurt...oh, it can hurt so much!  Yet is this what God asks of us?

Just musing, I realize that if our offerings are to God and our outpouring of love to others is a part of that offering, it doesn't matter the rejection of others, for if we are showing love and reaching out to others out of love to God, His love and approval will never be withheld.  He will never reject the offering of our hearts, if we offer them to others in His name.

"When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God."  To love and serve others is how we show our love to God.  If it is to Him we are offering it, it will always be accepted, however, the earthly vessel may receive it.

Still pondering how the softening of our hearts can be a strong and healthy thing in a world where hurt and offense abound...

How does this softening look in word and deed?

I would love insight.