Dress yourself with…Kindness

At the supermarket, the brothers would fight about which cereal she should buy. When they were home they could never agree which movie to watch. Sometimes she doubted that her two boys would ever survive their childhood together.

While they often bickered, the brothers were also fiercely loyal to each other. If another child from the neighborhood made fun of one of them, the other was sure to come to his defense. It baffled their mother!

How could they quarrel so, yet a short time later seek to protect their would-be rival? Blood truly must be thicker than water!

This scenario is a reality for many of us. Sibling rivalry, it seems, is universal. And for the most part, defense of one’s own family is equally universal. Playground conversations usually prove this true.

God has another scenario he wants us to follow. He encourages us in the

Bible to treat all people as though they were family. “Make every effort to add to your faith … brotherly kindness” (2 Peter 1:5,7).

There are dozens of things that make each of us different from everyone else in the world. They include where we live, the color of our eyes, our talents, the size of our paycheck, and so on.

Even though we enjoy associating with people who are like us, God wants us to treat everyone the way we would treat an idolized brother or sweet sister. After all, God’s love prompted him to send his Son, so that everyone who believes in him has life in his name.

Blood is not always thicker than water.

Every person who is made a child of God through his Word and the water of baptism also becomes our brother or sister in Christ. They are family.

Why don’t you stop by for a visit at church some weekend and meet some of your spiritual family?