30 Day Sibling Challenge - Day Eight

Day Eight – Let’s Show Some Fruit
^“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” ~Galatians 5:22-23

If you have trusted Christ as your Savior then the living Holy Spirit of God lives in you. As you learn to submit to Him you will show more and more of the characteristics listed above. We will next look at them one by one to help us walk in them.

The first of these is love. So what exactly is love?

This word for love here is the self-sacrificing love, it is the kind that puts others first not because they deserve it but because of Christ. That is what He did for us. Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 15:9 states, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.”

John 13:35 states, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
This same word in the Greek is used for love in all of these verses. It is the word agape. It is an unconditional love that would lay its life down for another. Now can you say you love others like that? Probably not fully and continually. However the hope is that as we submit our lives to Christ daily, as we die to our selfish desires daily, God within us will live this kind of love out in our lives, especially with our families. It is a stern reminder of how much we really do need a Savior to live this life out! Look to Him and be encouraged.

The way we love or lack love toward one another is a testimony to who we are and who we belong. So when you are out and the watching world sees you fighting and complaining with your sibling they can assume you are not a follower of Christ because you are not giving a good testimony to being one. However, when they see that bright light of true love they are drawn to it. They want to know your testimony and that my friends can bring great glory to God.

Today’s Action
What is something that you can die to today? Some sort of action that would really put your sibling first? Do that today to demonstrate true love. Because this is something that may or may not be seen, discuss what was done at the end of the day.

Parent’s Action
Help your children with this action and find a way to do it yourself.