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Mind, Character, and Personality Volume 1
calm minds, steady nerves, and a cheerful, happy spirit.—
Testimonies
for the Church 3:182
(1872).
Christ Understands—He who took humanity upon Himself
knows how to sympathize with the sufferings of humanity. Not only
does Christ know every soul, and the peculiar needs and trials of that
soul, but He knows all the circumstances that chafe and perplex the
spirit. His hand is outstretched in pitying tenderness to every suffering
child. Those who suffer most have most of His sympathy and pity. He
is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and He desires us to lay
our perplexities and troubles at His feet and leave them there.—
The
Ministry of Healing, 249
(1905).
Understanding Brings Closer Relationship to Christ—Good
deeds are the fruit that Christ requires us to bear—kind words; deeds
of benevolence; of tender regard for the poor, the needy, the afflicted.
When hearts sympathize with hearts burdened with discouragement
and grief, when the hand dispenses to the needy, when the naked are
clothed, the stranger made welcome to a seat in your parlor and a place
in your heart, angels are coming very near, and an answering strain is
responded to in heaven.
Every act of justice, mercy, and benevolence makes melody in
heaven. The Father from His throne beholds those who do these acts
of mercy and numbers them with His most precious treasures. “And
they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make
up My jewels” (
Malachi 3:17
). Every merciful act to the needy, the
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suffering, is regarded as though done to Jesus. When you succor the
poor, sympathize with the afflicted and oppressed, and befriend the
orphan, you bring yourselves into a closer relationship to Jesus.—
Testimonies for the Church 2:25
(1868).
Christ Calls for Tenderness and Compassion—True sympathy
between man and his fellowman is to be the sign distinguishing those
who love and fear God from those who are unmindful of His law. How
great the sympathy that Christ expressed in coming to this world to
give His life a sacrifice for a dying world! His religion led to the doing
of genuine medical missionary work. He was a healing power. “I
will have mercy, and not sacrifice,” He said. This is the test that the
Great Author of truth used to distinguish between true religion and
false. God wants His medical missionaries to act with the tenderness