Recently we asked the YouVersion Community to share your parenting questions with us. (Thank you for your responses!) Today we’re sharing Scripture around a topic many of you asked about: Sibling Rivalry.
Imagine your family as a team that God assembled to reflect His glory. He carefully crafted each family member to help the whole family fulfill its shared potential. Your role as parent is to serve as coach. You lead toward a vision that you can all accomplish together, teach everyone how to play, and work with each child to help them contribute meaningfully. Here’s how:
- Celebrate each member of your family for their unique value.
Just as in the body of Christ, each member of your family has a special role to fulfill. Help each of your children explore and discover their gifts. Help them learn to enjoy using their gifts in ways that serve the whole family. Along the way, encourage them with gratitude every time they show behaviors you want them to repeat. By equipping each child with self-awareness, service, and praise, you’re actually training them to cheer on every other member of your family.
- Unite your family around a common vision.
Talk together as a family about what you want your team to be known for. Start broadly, then gradually focus in on narrower themes, such Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, etc. In the Bible App, tap the Search tab, and explore under “What does the Bible say about…” (Or just type the trait you want into the Search box.) Once everyone agrees on a core family value, together pick a “Family Verse” that captures it.
- Never stop talking about what your family is about.
Unless you make it tangible, your family vision will fade. Use family pictures to make Verse Images of your Family Verse, then put them everywhere. Save them as backgrounds on everyone’s devices. Help your kids make their own custom versions. Print a few of your favorites, get them framed, and hang them in prominent places around your home. Most of all, reward your kids every time you “catch” them living out your family values. Over time, your family’s vision will become ingrained in your family’s dynamic.
- Adopt Grace and Forgiveness as honorary members of your family.
Especially as you begin this journey, set some short-term goals that will help your family score some quick wins. Just don’t lose sight of what you truly want: to build a lasting legacy together over time, a sustainable mindset of family unity that will span generations.
You will make mistakes. Your kids will make mistakes. Don’t give up on yourself. Don’t give up on each other. God’s mercies are new every morning. Keep trying, and keep showing love to each other.
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
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