{"id":156,"date":"2024-12-08T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/?p=156"},"modified":"2024-11-14T07:56:30","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T07:56:30","slug":"sizzling-sailing-with-your-siblings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/sizzling-sailing-with-your-siblings\/","title":{"rendered":"Sizzling sailing with your siblings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Siblings. We grow up with them. Does our relationship with them glow? It isn\u2019t smooth sailing always. But it is mighty important for us to have a great relationship with our siblings. At least 38 times believers are given the name \u2018brothers\u2019 in the book of Acts. God must have viewed the tag of \u2018brother\u2019 so highly, that He deemed it fit to be used interchangeably for believers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To make our relationship with our siblings sizzling, we must flush out the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Comparisons! Comparisons are most often needless. \u2018She is so pretty, but me – I am the ugly duckling of the family!\u2019 \u2018My brother is brilliant, but me – I can start an egg industry with all the zeros I have scored in my tests!\u2019 To solve this problem we must first realize that each one of us is unique. Hence, comparisons must be thrown out of the window. We also must understand that God may have different plans for us and that particular plan is the very best for us. God\u2019s plan for Nehemiah was that he should lead the Israelites in rebuilding the broken walls of Jerusalem. God\u2019s plan for Hanani (Nehemiah\u2019s brother) was that he report the condition of the walls of Jerusalem to his brother (Neh. 1:2). Probably, Hanani carried out all his duties diligently based on the conviction that God\u2019s plan for his life was simply the most suitable for him. Andrew was always bringing someone to Jesus (Jn.1:41; 6:8; 12:22). Andrew was just an uncelebrated \u2018pointer\u2019 (of people to Jesus!) but his brother Peter was a \u2018celebrated preacher\u2019! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Copying! Noah\u2019s second son had seen his father drunk and consequently disrobed. All he had to do was to cover him up. But instead, he broadcast his pop\u2019s shameful deed. But his other two brothers were different. They did not copy his thoughtless act. With tact they covered their father. Shem and Japheth refused to walk in Ham\u2019s harmful ways. Have you teamed up with your sibling in doing something you know you should not be doing? It may be to use the abusive language your older brother is using. It may be to cleverly con your uncomplicated parents about the protracted phone calls you get from your male friends like your elder sister so adeptly does. The pressure to just cave in will be Himalayan. But just don\u2019t. Hang in there. You can do just one thing. Be blunt and bold in your “no” to sin, when they call you for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Clashes! It looks like Solomon and his brother Adonijah were not even on talking terms (Has that happened in your case?). Otherwise, what was the need for Adonijah to go to Bathsheba – Solomon\u2019s mom – with the request that she tell Solomon about his desire to marry Abishag. (She was the young girl who had taken care of his dad David in his winter years.) Talking to your own blood brother through your mother – isn\u2019t that strange? Awkward? Misgivings against your siblings – you may have them time and again. They are bound to happen because you are constantly rubbing shoulders with each other. But learn to overlook them. Pardon them. Forgive them. Don\u2019t carry them in your heart but condone them. But we need to forgive and forget and move forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make our relationship with our siblings really take off we must have the following two positive qualities as well: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Christ-reflection! David promised the Lord, \u2018I will declare the wonder of your name to my brothers and sisters\u2019 (Ps.22:22). After Andrew met Jesus, the Bible narrates, The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, \u2018We have found the Messiah\u2019 (Jn.1:41). Mary had somehow succeeded in bringing her sister with her to see her Son die on the cross (Jn.19:25). It\u2019s amazing how most of us are quite keen to get out of our towns, states, and even country to tell others about the love of Christ, but fail to do it with our siblings. I just hope that what happened to the Rich Man of Luke 16 doesn\u2019t happen to us. He was deeply concerned that the gospel should somehow get to his five brothers who were on earth (Luke 16:28). It was a grievous case of truth seen, far too late. Our first missionary journey must begin at home! Just start out by sharing your devotions with your brother. Quote a relevant verse in your e-mail to your sister. When one of your siblings falls sick, earnestly pray for his\/her healing. Go to church with your siblings. Nereus of the church in Rome did (Rom 16:15). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Concern! The responsibility to make our siblings feel loved and cared for is on us. Squarely. Yes, God expects us to be our brother\u2019s keeper (Gen 4:9)! Did not Jesus tell Peter, \u2018Simon, take care of your brothers\u2019 (Luke 22:32)? \u2018A brother,\u2019 the Bible tells us, \u2018is born to help in the time of need\u2019 (Pr. 17:17). Joseph and David ran errands for their brothers (Gen 37:13\/I Sam 17:17). One way you can show that you care for your sibling is to compliment him or her. Don\u2019t be stingy about the superlatives you shower on your siblings. Tell your sister how good she looks. Appreciate your brother for how efficiently he takes care of the garden. Throw parties for each other! Job\u2019s children did that (Job 1:4). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you do all this and more, none of your siblings will lament like David, \u2018Even my own brothers pretend they don\u2019t know me; they treat me like a stranger\u2019 (Ps. 69:8). Or grunt like Job, \u2018My brothers are undependable as intermittent streams\u2026I\u2019m loathsome to my own brothers\u2019 (Job 6:15\/19:17). If God\u2019s given you a well-paying job then you may very well pay for your younger brothers\u2019 studies. And don\u2019t be mean enough to go after him and demand that he pay you back when he\u2019s grown up and earning. Am I biblical? Surely. God\u2019s word is clear: \u2018Do not charge your brother interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest\u2019 (Deut 23:19). Jesus hit out at a greedy brother who wanted his brother\u2019s property saying, \u2018Beware! Don\u2019t be greedy for what you don\u2019t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own\u2019 (Lk.12:15). When Lot wanted the greener pastures Abraham let him have it and went for what he left out (Gen. 13:9). What have you willingly given up so that your younger siblings will not have to tough it out like you had to? Maybe you could start out by letting your sister watch her favorite TV programme cheerfully (even though the timing of her can\u2019t-miss-it program clashes with your TV programme in yet another channel!) When you root out the negative qualities like comparisons, copying and clashes and inculcate positive qualities like Christ-reflection and concern in your relationships with your siblings you can be sure your relationship with them will be sizzling! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Author: Mr. Duke Jeyaraj, an engineer turned engaging youth evangelist is the founder of \u201cG Power 4 Mission\u2019, Hyderabad.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Siblings. We grow up with them. Does our relationship with them glow? It isn\u2019t smooth sailing always. But<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,10,4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bangalore","category-christian-matrimony","category-duke-jeyraraj","category-hyderabad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159,"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156\/revisions\/159"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}