I think we tried to start the day over at least twelve times this morning.
It’s Vacation Bible School week around here, and we’re all a little bit more tired, a little bit more in-each-other’s-space, a little bit (or a lot) more grumpy, and a little bit more lacking in grace.
We’re all this work in progress.
Thankfully God is somehow working in these dirty hearts – making them pure and lovely.
But for this morning, it’s been a bit hard to see.
And as I pushed the frustration of all the conflicts between big sister and little sister, twin sister and twin sister, brother and middle sister, sister and sister and brother… to the side, I couldn’t help but giggle to myself at how much this passage in 1 Peter talking to wives and husbands relates to the sibling relationships going on right under my roof.
Oh, these relationships to the closest people in our lives that can come so naturally and beautifully, but often are just plain hard (a lot like our marriage)!
{I love these pictures that show how similar yet different these two littlest sisters are. These are completely unscripted and right off my camera in the order they came.}
Family {Bible} Time – 1 Peter – Week 7
(Corresponds with this week’s 1 Peter 3:1-7 Bible Study)
And so, today, we used the first seven verses of 1 Peter 3 to help us get along with one another.
There are many other really helpful points within these seven verses, but these were the three that stood out for today, for they seemed to really highlight some steps to resolving conflicts…
1. Be Still – (from vs. 4) Having a gentle and quiet spirit doesn’t mean talking in a whisper all the time, or having a shy personality. It’s this stillness of relying on God rather than our own strength so we don’t stir up needless friction.
We talked quickly about some of the ways we had stirred up friction this morning, and then talked about specific ways we could *be still* and quiet our hearts especially when there’s been bickering or fighting: going off by ourselves, reading, taking a deep breath and praying to God, playing quietly, looking up Bible verses, journaling, & coloring were all mentioned.
2. Choose Understanding – (from vs. 7) This means being considerate – having a personal knowledge of one another. It’s about talking kindly, and really listening to one another so we can see things from the other’s point of view.
For a few minutes we acted out some conflicts from the morning – making sure to exaggerate the listening and the understanding.
3. Honor One Another – (from vs. 2 & 7) When we honor others, we see their value, their worth. We see them through God’s eyes – as priceless, precious, children that He paid for with His life.
And here I challenged our kids to find specific ways to show honor to one another today. It took a while, and a couple are still in the “brain-storming” process (and, yes, I helped the 3 and 4 year-olds with ideas), but the glistening of honor that started shining through was truly beautiful. One decided to share, one chose to play with the other when she really didn’t want to, one gave hugs, one wrote letters to the others, and one got a special treat prepared.
No, things are still not perfect. There’s still been bickering and annoyances loud. And I don’t have this whole parenting thing or relationship thing down. But what joy and peace (and at least a little less shouting) in being still and relying on God instead of my own strength in order to work in the hearts of my children and me!
1 Peter Family {Bible} Times: #1 1 Peter Introduction “When All Our Kids Hearts are Dirty” – #2 1 Peter 1:1-2 “How to Get Kids to Love the Bible” – #3 1 Peter 1:3-12 “How to Share the Gospel With Kids” – #4 1 Peter 1:13-25 “Showing Grace & Teaching Obedience” – #5 1 Peter 2:1-10 “Displaying to Our Kids that God is Good” – #6 1 Peter 2:11-25 “Following in His Steps”
How to Deal With Sibling Conflicts is a post from: Our Family For His Glory
Click here to download the {FREE} twelve week 1 PETER BIBLE STUDY – Growing in the True Grace of God. {Please give it a few minutes to download… thank you for your grace!}