Family Relationships

We Are Responsible for Our Relationships (April Challenge)

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by Olivia Meggs

This month, KBR is hosting an “Encourage Your Siblings Challenge.” Throughout the month, 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!

The Meggs Siblings

“Behold, how good and how
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
{Psalm 133:1} 

Sharp answers . . . judging assumptions . . . don’t we all have those moments when it seems like our siblings are trying to annoy us on purpose? If you answered yes, then you are on the same page as I was a year ago. It seemed to me, that no matter how hard I tried, our relationships just did not get any better. I tried using every technique that came to mind to change my siblings – I told myself that if my siblings would just stop being noisy and careless, life would be so much easier! “If our siblings change, our relationships with them will become better, right?”

Wrong. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Ultimately, we are responsible for making sure our relationships with younger siblings are wholesome, uplifting and fun. Our sinful nature tells us that our siblings (not ourselves) are the wrongdoers and that we cannot be happy unless they change. However, the key to a good relationship is realizing that you are the problem, the provoker, and the biggest stumbling block. You are the cause of the hurt, strife and annoyance. You may say, ‘But wait – isn’t there any way I can have a good relationship without humbling myself? You just don’t understand!’ Because I am a sinful human just like you, I can say with all truthfulness, that I truly do understand! That was my reaction to my siblings in the past. I am here to tell you what I had to learn the hard way: Your relationship will never change unless you change first. You must chose to refuse to become annoyed with your little brother, when he comes for the fifteenth time while you are in the middle of a hard Algebra problem. Refuse to be irritated when they make a mess. My relationship with my younger brothers and sisters did not get better until I realized that I was the problem, and through God’s grace strove to be an encourager to them – accepting my siblings just as they are. Am I saying that younger siblings never sin? Absolutely not! However, our focus should be to change our heart and let God do the work in theirs. That is the only way to have a godly and fun relationship with our brothers and sisters!

I would like to share with you several activities I have used to reach out to my siblings.

  • We girls like to dress in nice clothes and take pictures together outdoors. My sisters really enjoy having an afternoon to play around with different styles and fun poses.
  • We will go into the kitchen and bake something together. Two of my sisters, brothers, and I really enjoy searching for healthy, fun and tasty recipes to make for the family.
  • We enjoy going outside and playing sports together, as well as practicing different forms of gymnastics. It makes a great work out and often produces laughs among us, as one sibling will do a couple of flops!
  • I will dig out all of my old dolls and their accessories and then build a house out of chairs, pillows, and bins for my youngest sister to play with. Often a little water in a cup for tea, some music of her choice playing and the freedom to wear one of my pretty dresses makes her very happy!

Sisters Jane & Alice F.

  • Four of us can play piano and we enjoy each taking a section of the piano keyboard to play duets together.  Because we all have different styles and ideas, our combinations can be quite interesting!
  • We all enjoy singing together. We will each take a part and experiment with different songs and instruments. Two of my younger sisters and I enjoy singing while one of us plays fiddle and my brother plays guitar.
  • I personally love any drama or play and have taught my younger siblings to do the same! Whether acting out a play we have written or a story we have read, it is always fun to dress up and pretend different periods in history.
  • My older brothers each have very unique personalities and views on different subjects. Taking the time to listen to chick brooder plans or about a gun they hope to buy can certainly make their day. After a long day of college or work, I can minister to them by listening as they talk. This encouragement opens up many doors and they will come again for input.


Sisters Danielle & Leah H.

I am not perfect; however, I can truthfully say that I enjoy being with my younger siblings. I am the most happy when all six of us girls are together, having fun! Do not be discouraged and think it is too late for your relationship to improve – start changing your own heart and reactions and you will be amazed at how your siblings will respond. Continually thank God for your younger siblings and be a “door opener.” We serve an awesome God who extends grace and mercy to all – follow Jesus’ example as you seek to love your brother and sisters. “Being found in fashion as a man, [Jesus] humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).

Olivia Marie Meggs (15)
fourthborn of ten children

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Family Relationships

Am I My Brother’s Seeker? (April Challenge)

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by Naomi Watt

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!

Are you your brothers’ seeker? My purpose is to inspire you to a higher goal for relating to and seeking encouraging relationships your siblings. Good relationships don’t automatically happen; they take work, and you only get out of them what you put into them. Keep in mind that “every wise woman buildeth her house” (Proverbs 14:1).

Paul desired for the Colossians that their hearts be “knit together in love” (Colossians 2:2); and we are warned that “He that loveth not his brother abideth in death” (1 John 3:14). You have a responsibility to everyone around you (“Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea” Mark 9:42), especially to the ones God has put right in your reach.

“Seeking” our siblings implies desire, purpose, and effort on our part. This may not be easy. It takes work. You must go out of your way to do it. Your focus must be off of yourself and your own plans; you must want to know your siblings, and you must diligently give all of yourself for your siblings’ good, edification, and to bring honor to the Lord. “Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous…knowing that ye are hereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3: 8,9). “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24). Jesus gave His all when He sought us; how can we do less? Therefore, seek and pursue your sibling relationships with all of your heart.

Do you truly love your siblings for their sakes’, or is there some selfish ambition in your heart, some self-glory that is the motivation for your love toward them? Is there something you want to get out of or from your family members? It is very easy to fall into the trap of serving others in order to build yourself up. However, in seeking others, self must be crucified. As Paul said: “for I seek not yours, but you” (2 Cor. 12:14). “For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection” (2 Cor. 13:9; also 1 Cor. 10:33). How important are your siblings to you? “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12). You know the story of Abraham and Lot; Abraham went to great lengths to honor his brother, and to seek peace, much to his own inconvenience. He said, “Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee…for we be brethren” (Genesis13:8). Let that be our watchword!

I fall in the middle of the line of siblings in my family, so I know how it is to be both the ‘little kid’ and, now, an older sister. Recognizing the importance of the responsibility I have towards those who come after me has put me face to face with how I must be seeking God out of a pure heart, for by seeking Him, I will find the way to reach the hearts of my siblings. Ask God for a heart to see your siblings as He sees them!

When one of my older siblings chose the worldly path, I was told by someone that they didn’t know why I had let him go that way. At first, I thought that was quite an unfair accusation, especially since I am not his parent. However, after a little reflection, I saw that indeed, I had not set myself to fervently pray for him, encourage him in righteousness, or seek him out in his spiritual walk. There are so many things I could have done that may have built him up and could have turned him from the choices he made. Granted, in the end it is every man’s choice which way he will go, but God has placed each of us in our individual families, and He does it for a reason. We are accountable to fulfill His purpose in building one another up. What positive influence might I have been able to wield in my brother’s life, had I not slipped from under the responsibility?

Another sister who has learned the hard way says,

“As I look back at the relationship I had with one of my brothers, who has now rejected his Christian upbringing now chosen a different way of life, I feel deep regret for the opportunities I missed as his sister when we were growing up together. Our relationship tended to be light and silly, and I did not encourage him in his pursuits or dreams for life.  Tears flow from my heart now, as I see how the way I treated him then has contributed to his current lifestyle and the way he now deals with his wife. If only I had encouraged him, built him up, prayed for him, and sought a deeper relationship in the days we were given together… Although the past is done, I have learned from the mistakes I made and earnestly strive to invest in the lives of the siblings that still live at home. PLEASE, dear sisters, remember that your influence is so powerful in your siblings’ lives. The days we have together are soon setting – and will be forever past. Life is but a vapor. You do not want to look back with deep regret. TODAY is the day to make the choice to invest – do not wait until tomorrow.”

Friends, this is serious. Please, begin now to make it a priority to know and encourage your siblings; openly talk of spiritual things (how is God working in their lives?), gently press them toward Jesus, by word and example; pray diligently, carrying them daily to the feet of Christ. Beware of hypocrisy; you are being watched by your siblings. Do not be a stumbling block that keeps them from the Kingdom.

Sibling relationships are a wonderful “mission field,” – but it starts simply. Learn to know and love them. Develop strong, trusting relationships with them. And—never give up—for, as long as there is breath there’s hope, through Christ. Remember you cannot carry your burdens or make your siblings choose right. Once you have encouraged them and set an upright example, leave the results at the feet of Jesus, and pray unceasingly for them. “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). Psalms 55:22 says, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

You may feel like you have been wandering around in a barren wasteland, or are stepping out on an uncharted course; but the key is that, you are found seeking to build your relationships. When you do these things in your family, showing that you love them, this gives you credibility when you need to speak truth into their lives where it really matters. They will hear you even when it hurts, because they know they are important to you—they will know you love them, and want what is best for them. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) It is indeed beautiful…begin now.

Naomi Watt (22)

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Blessing Others, Family Relationships

Plan a Picnic For Your Siblings (Challenge Idea)

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by Sarah L. Bryant

This month, KBR is hosting an “Encourage Your Siblings Challenge.” Throughout the month we are posting articles and ideas by different sisters with ideas on how we can bless the younger siblings in our lives.
What are your ideas? What special things have you done with your siblings? Let’s swap ideas as we journey toward encouraging our siblings in the Lord!

Last week, my sister and I enjoyed some time together in the kitchen as we prepared a picnic lunch for our brothers. We made some fresh homemade wheat bread to go with farm-fresh egg salad, fresh pineapple and fruit—and Rachael’s delicious Angel Food Cake!

When our picnic food was prepared, we packed it into a basket and grabbed some blankets, and set off for a grassy shady area, with our brother leading the way on his tractor.


Farm fresh eggs

Planning a picnic is fun and it can provide a memorable time for our siblings to enjoy being together. Here are some recipes we used in our own picnic preparation.

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

In a Bosch, combine the following ingredients:

    • 6 cups warm water
    • 3 tablespoons yeast
    • 2 cups whole wheat flour

Mix and let sponge for 15 minutes. Then add:

    • 7 cups whole wheat flour
    • 2/3 cup oil
    • 2/3 cup honey
    • 2 tablespoon salt

Mix on speed two. Gradually add more flour (around 5 cups) until dough begins to clean sides of bowl. Let knead on speed 2 for 10 minutes. Form into 6 small loaves; let rise in a warm area, and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.


We used shaped pans to make fun heart and star-shaped bread loaves

Angel Food Cake

    • 12-13 egg whites (2 cups)
    • ¼ tsp. salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 ¼ cup sugar
    • 1 cup flour

Beat egg whites until foamy, and add salt and cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Add almond extract and vanilla, then gradually add sugar, beating until stiff. Sift flour over the whites and gently fold in. Bake in ungreased 10” cake pan for 50-60 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean). Let cool before removing cake from pan. We love to serve this cake with fresh cream!

Sometimes simple activities can be extra-special for our siblings. Fun memories can be easily made, when we go out of our way to bless them with thoughtful projects or activities. The options are endless, and as we show them that we care and want to spend time with them, they will learn that we truly care about them both physically and spiritually. This is a key to building a strong and trusting relationship. It also opens the door for us to be a godly mentor and confident to them, as we share and point them to God’s Word, which is applicable to every area and struggle in life.

There are so many creative ways that we can share the Scriptures with them and encourage them to really seek out the Word on their own. I have enjoyed doing this in the past by creating Bible quizzes (as I daily study the Bible myself, I find interesting and amazing pieces of information and truth, and it is fun to share them with my brothers and sister). Or I may encounter a bit of interesting trivia about someone in the Old Testament which my brothers find interesting, or find a passage that talks about a topic my sister is interested in. These can be written down or made into quizzes for them to look up and study themselves. “Word finds” are so easy to create, and many young children enjoy doing them.


Create your own Scripture “word finds” for your siblings to do

Word searches are also wonderful to do together, especially in the book of Proverbs. For example, read Proverbs ten and highlight all the references to the “righteous.” Or read Proverbs chapter nine and have your siblings find all the things that “wisdom” does and says. Searching God’s Word can be so fun and interesting; you can make quizzes and challenges for your siblings to do, and give them to them on your picnic!

 

The time and love you put into your siblings’ lives can reap incredible results, which you would not imagine. We were thrilled to hear what God has already done in Christianna’s life this month, as she has done the challenge with her younger siblings:

I am a sixteen-year-old daughter; I have three older siblings and four younger brothers. A year ago I didn’t have much of a relationship with my siblings, especially my brothers. I wished God had given me a younger sister; I felt that then I would be able to have a good relationship with her because she would look up to me and listen to what I told her. However, soon I realized that I was just making excuses for not trying to invest in my brothers. They didn’t look up to me because they knew I didn’t care about them; they didn’t respect me, because I didn’t have their hearts. And I realized that if I did this with my younger brothers, it would probably have been just the same with a sister if God had given me one.

It was then that I was convicted, and began to look for things to do with my brothers and to point them towards Christ. When I decided to do the KBR challenge, I was a bit worried that the idea would be met with scorn. I was wrong; my brothers almost seemed more enthusiastic about it than I was! I have seen tremendous things in them these past few days, that I didn’t know were there, as I have spent more time encouraging them. My brother Tobias has been eager to recite his memory verse to me as soon as he possibly can, and always reminds me when its time to have our Bible time together. Since all my younger siblings are boys, we have a very informal setting. We will often go to the woods and the boys will perch themselves in trees or climb a large rock to read the Bible. Afterwards we all sing hymns (they love doing that) and then play a game like “freeze tag” or “follow the leader.”

I have really enjoyed watching my brothers’ responses to this time. They have had so much more respect for me now, whereas before, they never came begging for me to play with them. I have also been realizing the tremendous gifts that the Lord has placed in each one of them. God has been revealing to me that they are all talented young men with wonderful gifts which I pray will be used for God’s glory. I look forward to the rest of the month!

As you invest in and show your siblings your love, the Lord will bring the increase. This month, strive to plan special activities and projects to do with your brothers and sisters—whether it is a romping outdoor picnic or hike in the woods or fancy tea party. Remember that these investments can bring eternal blessings. “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy” (Hosea 10:12). Give a special and unique gift to your siblings—from your heart. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

A Big Sister,
Sarah Lee

We would love to hear about the special things you have done with your siblings so far this month!

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Family Relationships

The Best Gifts are Tied with Heartstrings (April Challenge)

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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)

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Blessing Others, Family Relationships

Let’s Encourage Our Siblings! (April)

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by Sarah L. Bryant

This month, KBR is hosting an “Encourage Your Siblings Challenge.” We invite you to join us in this exciting adventure together! We will be posting one article each week by different sisters with ideas on how to invest in and encourage the younger siblings in our lives. We would love to hear your ideas as well, so feel free to comment.

Greetings, dear sisters!

We all want to change the world for Christ, right? Many of us dream of sharing the Gospel and being missionaries to lost people groups across the world.

However, when was the last time you looked around and realized that you are living in a mission field right now? If you have a family, you have people to share the Gospel with on a daily basis, and if you have younger brothers and sisters, so many little eyes are watching you. This gives you a wonderful opportunity to share Jesus every day. So often, because this seems rather ordinary and sometimes “mundane,” we overlook the most important fields of ministry that God has given us as daughters and sisters—that of using our time wisely and investing it in the siblings that are in our lives.

Jesus Christ discipled his twelve disciples on a daily basis. He lived and ate with them, and in so doing He showed them and taught them what the Kingdom of God was truly about. In a much smaller, yet similar way, we as big sisters are given a privilege to live with other souls and to share with them what Christianity is all about. What true love is all about. What sacrifice looks like.

We are not promised another day with our siblings. James 4:14 minds us, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Do you know what this next year will look like? Are you even promised another hour of life? Do you know what your siblings will be when they grow up? None of us know what the future holds. You do not want to look back with regret on how you spent the years you had together with your siblings. In ten or twenty years, you will not want to look back and see that the way you treated that “more difficult” sibling degraded and discouraged they as they matured. Rather, it will bring such joy if you can look back and say, that by God’s grace, you strove to uplift and build up your siblings and see the beautiful fruit of godliness in their lives as Christian adults. We must take heed and invest in the opportunity we have been given to grow up in a Christian household.

While we are not to instruct our siblings with authority, we as older sisters certainly do have a special influence in their lives. We should support our parents’ authority and teaching, and set a good example for our siblings. It is very important for little Jonny to see that big sister honors her parents and does what is right when mom and dad are not looking. When she loves him and values God’s Word, she also encourages him to do the same.

Our siblings, Lord willing, will mature into adults and will have their own families one day. They will have legacies. Today we can influence them positively and encourage them to invest in what will truly last—God’s Word and a relationship with Christ—and ultimately impact many generations to come! I find this to be a tremendously sobering realization. It makes me fall to my knees and plead with God for help, for grace, and for wisdom in the way I treat my siblings. The time is so short, the need of the hour so crucial.

There are so many ways to encourage and uplift our siblings both physically and spiritually. However, let me share just a few of the exciting things the Lord has done in my own sibling relationships throughout the past few years.

  • One very important and simple thing that we can do easily is simply listening to our siblings. Communication is a life-line for relationships. If there is no communication, you cannot have a thriving, growing friendship. Sometimes it might take more effort to go out of way to be with a sibling or be around when they’re doing something so that you can talk with them. Making time to be together is a key to simply keeping the line of communication open and ready. Ask your sisters and brothers how they really are doing deep down inside, what they are learning, how they need prayer—simply be interested in their life and their interests. I have some very special memories of late-night conversations with my younger sister! For your brother or sister who enjoys talking, be a good listener—it can be easy to continue looking at what you are working on and nod your head, but take your eyes off your project and pay attention to the conversation. For siblings that are still fairly young, we can do this by taking time to stop and listen when they come running to show us a little picture they drew, a bug they captured, or a Lego truck they made.
  • Some of the most memorable memories our siblings have of times spent together are often things we don’t even remember. Young minds are very impressionable. My sister was telling me recently about some fictitious stories I told her when she was very young (like if you talk too much when you are young, your voice “runs out” when you get old). I didn’t remember telling her those things, but she still remembers! You never know how the choices you make will impact your siblings. When you sit down on the floor and play a short little game with your little brother or plan a sister tea party, it can really be special to them. Take your baby sister on a scroll outside in the baby backpack. Bake some bread or read a book with your four-year-old sister. Write little encouraging notes to your siblings every few weeks.
  • Making fun memories happens naturally in the life of a busy, big family—but we can also make an effort to do fun things with our siblings. A few weeks ago, my siblings and I planned a special “camp-out party” in our basement. On the scheduled evening, we played games, told stories, recited memory verses, sang songs, ate ice cream, and then gathered our sleeping bags and pillows for the night. However, the funnest part of the whole evening was one unique twist—before arriving at the party, we all individually dressed up in the most interesting attire we could find in our closets. We then walked one by one into the pre-decorated basement, and squeals of laughter were exchanged for a long time as we all examined one another’s very eclectic attire. For some reason, this was so funny to each of us and made the party very memorable. Sometimes all that is needed for making fun memories is a bit of the unusual and some creativity.
  • Another fun thing to do with your siblings is to write down what you want to be “in ten years.” Let your imaginations free and have fun writing down random things about one another! In several years, these lists will be so fun to look back on and read together.
  • A few years ago the Lord showed me how important it is to honor and encourage my siblings, instead of discouraging them. I need to show them I have faith in them and believe they can do big and important things—whether that be learning to balance a bike or build a treehouse or earn enough money to buy a house one day. I have made mistakes in past relationships, by saying things like, “You can’t do that!” or making other passing statements that discourages their dreams and goals. You must realize how important this is, and ask for God’s strength and wisdom, so that you can do as the virtuous woman who “openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26). Cast a vision by encouraging your siblings in their “big dreams” and ambitions. Who knows—your little brother just might become that astronaut he has always wanted to be!
  • I have been impressed with the importance of praying for my siblings, especially when they are going through difficulties. Prayer reaps a harvest that we will never fully know. I challenge you to pray daily for each of your siblings’ salvation. Plead with the Lord for their eternal souls, pray for their sanctification, pray that the Lord would fill their souls with the glory of the Gospel and overflow them with awe, for their courage to fight the many battles we face as Christians. Pray that your brothers would be filled with the power and strength that God requires of godly men, pray that they would be shining lights in a world of darkness, pray that the Lord would raise up their progeny to be powerful warriors in the Kingdom, that God would call their descendants to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the world, and pray that their future children and all those who follow from their lineage would fight for the crowned rights of Jesus Christ until His return! There are so many important battles at stake, sisters. Praying for our siblings is so much more than just meets the eye; it can have eternal results extending farther than we will ever see in our own lifetimes. I challenge you to develop a habit of praying daily for your siblings.
  • For the past few years, my siblings and I have done a challenge together each summer to read the Bible, memorize Scripture, and be accountable to respective friends, to whom we each recite our verses every few weeks. This fun challenge has been very helpful in encouraging my siblings to develop a solid habit of Scripture memory and Bible reading. I have also encouraged my siblings to read the Bible every day of the year, and for two years in a row now, they have completed that challenge! A few weeks ago we enjoyed a treat together for their accomplishment—some ice cream. It is so exciting to see the spiritual fruit of this diligence in my siblings’ lives; God’s Word never returns void. When older sisters encourage their siblings in these goals, it can really have a powerful impact in their lives.

Ice Cream Treat Together

These are just a few ways that we can invest in the lives of our brothers and sisters. There is so much more to be said, and in the next few weeks we will have several other sisters share how they like to encourage their siblings. We hope you will join us in our “Encourage Our Siblings” challenge this month, as we seek to establish a foundation of investing in and inspiring tour siblings to seek the Lord Jesus Christ in their youth. This can have a lasting and profound impact, which will only be seen in years to come. You may never know what impact the investments you make will have; sometimes the fruit may seem long in coming. However, I can attest that God is faithful, and does answer our prayers, with the watering of His spirit and answer to fervent prayer. Be faithful and trust the Lord to do the work in their hearts.

What a privilege it is for us to be able to seek the Lord with our best friends—our brothers and sisters! Let us press on, looking forward to the ultimate Day when we all stand united at Christ’s throne, singing loudest praises to Him forever! This is our goal!

With His love,
Sarah Lee
{Founder of KBR Ministries, Big sister to Four}

P.S. I encourage you to read this encouraging article about the influence of sisters written by Timothy Arthur.

We encourage you to tell your friends about this challenge and encourage them to invest in their siblings with you!

Enjoy this month’s special computer desktop wallpaper:

Encouraging Girls to Grow in their Walk with Christ