by Emily Parish

This month, KBR is hosting an “Encourage Your Siblings Challenge.” Throughout we are posting articles written by other sisters with ideas on how to invest in and encourage our siblings. As you take the challenge this month, we would love to hear what projects YOU have done together with your siblings. Email your ideas to us to share with other KBR readers!

Emily with her younger siblings

“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ,
if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded,
having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;
but in lowliness of mind let each esteem
other better than themselves.”
{Philippians 2:1-3} 

Younger siblings are such a blessing! It is our responsibility as big sisters to invest in them wisely, and that can be done in many different ways…

In our Words and Attitudes

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Proverbs 25:11). Sometimes it can be difficult to encourage our siblings because we “don’t feel like it” (“I’m having a bad day”), but we need to leave our self-focused feelings behind and reach a hand out to our siblings. A single word of encouragement takes only a couple of seconds, like, “Wow, you finished all your school early today! Great job!” or “I can see Jesus in you, when you share your favorite train with baby sister.” I have tried doing this when I am having an upset mood, and it melted my self-focused heart to see a huge smile spread across my brother’s face! Since such a little sentence means so much to my siblings, why don’t I do it more often?

In our Study of God’s word

I once invited my younger sister to do a Bible Study with me. Every other day we would read about a different woman of the Bible. We would talk about her strengths and her weaknesses together; we would underline verses and write down things in our special “Woman of the Bible” notebook. I tried to make it fun for her by having special snacks and hot tea while we read and providing crafts to go along with our study. We had an enjoyable time together, grew in our relationship with one another and with our Heavenly Father.

Another way to encourage our siblings is to slip a Bible verse in their school books or place one on their bed, and add a little “thinking of you” and “love you” note. A Bible verse is always a perfect way to give them some of God’s Word and show them you care.

My siblings have had a lot of fun acting out plays from Bible stories. Often performing for our parents or video taping for viewing later, makes lots of laughter and smiles!

In Prayer

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). Praying with our siblings is a perfect way to encourage our siblings in the Lord. When we were younger, my oldest sister, Rebekah would always want to pray with me and my other older sister before we went to bed. I am so happy I have a sister like that! As a little girl, her joy and love towards the Lord encouraged me to search God’s Word more and not focus only on the things I wanted in prayer. She has inspired me to encourage my younger siblings with shared prayer at bedtime.

In Song

“Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp” (Psalm 150:1-3).

I like to sing praise songs with my younger siblings. This is an opportunity to be with your siblings, memorize Psalms, and praise the Lord together. When we praise the Lord, why not encourage our siblings to praise Him with us and to sing with all their heart to the Lord – and praise Him daily as they work and play?

In Work

“Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:23). One day I wanted to make biscuits for the neighbors, but it was my turn to watch my two little sisters. Then I thought of an idea. I put them both on stools, got the cookie cutters out, and asked them if they would like to help me make a gift from the kitchen. After we were done, there was flour all over the kitchen floor and all over them! Even though the biscuits weren’t quite perfect, they had a blast and we were all able to bless the neighbors with our work.

While studying Asia, my sister Olivia (9) and I planned and served a Chinese breakfast for my family. We decorated the room with lots of homemade Chinese crafts. Her biggest pleasure was that “Big Sis” even dressed up in a qi’pao (Chinese dress) with her. Now she is asking me to do a foreign breakfast once a month!

“Feed bag races”

In Play

When you were younger, you liked to play – it might be playing baby dolls, a game of basketball, “feed bag races,” or fossil hunting – what it was, you always wanted a big sister/brother or Mommy and Daddy to do it with you, right? This is another way we can encourage our siblings, by spending time and playing with them. Try to keep in mind that each one of our siblings is very different. They have different ideas of interest and what is fun. So be creative and think of what they like doing, and make a fun project out of it.

Our siblings need our love and our encouragement. Instead of waiting for tomorrow, invest in the opportunities today! This is our responsibility as a sister. May God bless you as you encourage your siblings.

In Him Alone,
Emily Parish (14)

Enjoy this month’s special computer desktop wallpaper: