On May 28, 1973, the Lord blessed me with one of the sweetest gifts that He has ever given to me this side of heaven. He gave me a sister and her name is Jennie. From the moment my mom and dad brought her home, I loved her. I had never loved anything like I loved her. My affection for her was deep and abiding from the get go. That love and affection for her has remained and has never wavered. Jennie is my dearest friend next to my husband, Paul. When we were little girls, Jennie and I loved playing together. One of our favorite games was playing ‘Donny and Marie’ where Jennie was Donny and I was Marie, of course:) We loved playing Barbies and made the best set ups for Ken and Barbie in their dreamworld. We loved making up shows and made sure they included all the little neighborhood girls, or all of our cousins. When Jennie was five years old, she got horrible food poisoning and because we shared rooms, she called for me first before even calling our mom. She spent one week in the hospital and I remember not knowing what to without her while she was gone. I am thankful the Lord spared her life. I have always admired Jennie. She can do anything she sets her mind to. She is smart. She is beautiful. She knows what she is about and is willing to speak up for what she knows to be true. Jennie is a woman who loves the Lord. Jennie is a good friend and if you have been graced by her in friendship, you know exactly what I mean. Jennie has a wonderful sense of humor. She is fun and makes me laugh. She reminds me of our mother. Jennie is a wonderful wife and mother. Her husband, Jay, and children, Owen and Olivia are blessed. I am so thankful that the Lord saw fit to give me Jennie as my sister to walk through the joys and trials in this life together.

Romans 12:9-10 says, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

The command to love one another with brotherly affection is a command to love our brothers and sisters in Christ like you love your siblings or your children.  I have a sisterly affection for Jennie that is like no other.  Our love and affection for our brothers and sisters in Christ should be similar.  In my family, Jennie and I were united because we were born into the same family.  Our mother would often say, “Friends come and go, but siblings are for a lifetime.” It’s the same in the family Christ where we are united because we are born again into His family.  We are one in Him.   Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In Christ, we are united.  This is good news and worth celebrating.  Focusing on what divides us is not worth focusing on, but focusing on Christ, who unites us, is.

In closing, I encourage you love one another with brotherly affection. How?  Pray together. Eat together. Laugh together. Gather around the word together. Be together. 

Here is a sermon by John Piper that unpacks this command beautifully. https://youtu.be/9BESTFtfcB0

Blessings to you,

Heather

When You Pray….

1. Yourself – Pray that you would love those that the Lord has placed in your life who are your family in Him with affection.  Pray that you would be fearless, humble, prayerful, seeking the Lord, found ready, trusting the Lord that He is preparing a place for you, and that you would be salt and light to this broken world.
2. Your spouse – Pray the same.
3. Your children – Pray for their salvation.
4. It’s the 1st Wednesday of the month, so pray for your immediate extended family on both sides.  (If your family is large, split your family up over the 4-5 Wednesdays of the month.)