Love like Jesus in the family

“How could you not understand something so simple?” he bellowed. “Are you absolutely dumb?” Tears clung to her eyes, threatening to fall any second. He had insisted to teach her how to drive, but the only thing he had managed to instil in her was fear. Why did he have to treat her like a child? Even children did not deserve to be treated like this.

At some time or another, we have all been guilty of treating others with less respect than they deserve. The same woman, who is an extremely polite coworker, may come home and verbally lash out at her husband and children. But is there a standard according to which we should treat everyone?

There is never a reason to be unkind. The Bible instructs us to be completely humble and gentle (Ephesians 4:2). This rule applies to our interactions with everyone. We behave with gentleness towards one another when we treat them in the same manner we want to be treated. We are gentle and humble when we give no room to harsh and rude conversation. In our relationship with our spouses, there is no room to put down one another and engage in sarcasm. As we begin to view each other through the same lens as our Maker, we will learn to interact lovingly. God views each one of us with equal worth and sent His Son to die for the sins of us all ( John 3:16). No matter how a person may have wronged us in the past, we will treat them with the same love that God extends towards them.

Jesus displayed gentleness in His interaction with children. The disciples disregarded the children as unimportant and were preventing them from coming to Jesus. But Jesus “took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them” (Mark 10:16). Jesus was not looking at what the children had to offer Him. Let us seek to love in the family and beyond as God loves us.