Loving Our Family

Colossians 3:18-21—Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.

This Scripture provides a framework for reciprocal familial relationships.  A healthy family is filled with mutual respect, but each member demonstrates that respect in a different way.  Sometimes, though, showing love and respect for the members of our family presents a challenge.  It is easy to lose patience with those that we love because we get to a place that is so comfortable, it is like our filters go away.  We get so secure that our family will always love us that we forget to behave with a loving attitude toward them.  Not only that, but we see all the deep dark crevices of the weaknesses in each member of our family, and they see ours.  The better we know someone, the harder sometimes it is to show unconditional love because we start to make judgments and hold grudges based on past interactions.  We are also afraid of the judgments they make about us.  Sometimes we lose our patience and find it hard to forgive them for being human.

Today as you pray and meditate on this Scripture, consider the relationships in your life.  Give God thanks for blessing you with those relationships in your life.  Ask God to reveal those areas that need your attention.  Pray that He would fill you with a spirit to show His love to the most special people in your life.