You can either have a big sister who delights in bossing you around because she is, of course, older and therefore knows everything. Or you can have a little brother being a typical boy, loudly playing superhero rescue with his Matchbox cars, Legos, and action figures while you are trying to read quietly.
Times like these, it can be all too easy to snap and lose our tempers with our siblings. When they do the same annoying things time after time, it can be hard to have patience with them.
Yet, we have to realize that our brothers and sisters are not perfect, are human, and make human mistakes. It is important to realize in this process that we are the same way. Our siblings most likely have a list of things that we do to annoy them, very similar to our own lists.
The next time you find yourself losing patience with your brother or sister, try this:
The first thing to do is, pray and ask God for assistance. We will most certainly not get anywhere, with learning to have patience with our siblings, without asking God for help first and foremost.
Next, take a deep breath and count to ten. When you are counting, think of some scripture verses about patience to help quiet your mind. The verse that follows is a great one to commit to memory.
Ephesians 4:2 - Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (NIV)
If you find yourself really starting to get impatient, politely excuse yourself and go into another room for a few minutes to relax. This may be effective for both you and your sibling, if you both find that you are getting impatient with each other and need some time apart.
Learning to have patience is the first step to a successful 1 Corinthians 13 sibling challenge. All the other factors of love that are listed in the verse are dependent on us being patient. Learning to have patience can also be the first big step toward having a calmer household, which I am sure your moms will appreciate.
Written by Emily Miller
