I’ve discovered an important thing… and I would like to share it with you.
So here goes.
I am currently working really hard to stop ordering my brothers around. They are 14 and just-turned-13, respectively, and they’ve always been smaller than me because they’re three and five years younger.
I realized lately that I have had a habit of wanting to correct and control and manage everyone else. I’ve been convicted. Not condemned. Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit, and it’s a positive thing. Condemnation comes from the great accuser, the devil, and it is the opposite of conviction.
I have been convicted that I need to respect my younger brothers.
Just because they’re younger doesn’t mean they’re not young men.
They deserve just as much respect as a friend’s brother would.
My “little” brothers are fast turning into men. One of them is only about half an inch shorter than I am. (And I’m not short) They are also maturing spiritually and mentally.
Someday they will be husbands and fathers. If I respect and honor them now, then someday they will have a much easier time taking their place in their own homes as the leader and head.
There’s also another benefit that would happen from this good behavior. When I marry, as I believe that is God’s calling on my life, I will be better able to love, listen to, respect, honor, and obey my husband… because I’d be used to being the one who is a helpmeet. That is a wonderful thought – and it’s true!
This is why I am earnestly trying to treat my brothers as young men, not just ‘little brothers’.
These are my brothers – Steven(left) and Mark(right). And they approve this message.
Have you ever had difficulty respecting a brother? I would love to hear how you overcame this in your life.
Title Of Article: Respecting Younger Brothers
Contributor Name: Miss Julia
Age: 17
Blog Title: Julia’s Journal
About The Author
Thanks for posting this, it’s something I’ve needed to hear. I’m the first born with two younger brothers and in a lot of ways it was natural for me to simply be “in charge”. with a six year difference with my youngest brother I have watched and been resposible for him for a long time. Sometimes its hard not to think like the older sister but I have found when I’m just bieng another person who respects them they reveal a lot more and we have fun together. I find that pray helps alot when i’m stuck in the big sister mode.
Ashleys last blog post..Trisomy 18
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Hi, I agree with what you said! I have two younger brothers as well. One is much taller (three inches! I’m not “short” either!) than me and the other is three almost four. I have found that I don’t have the bossing problem (most of the time, if I’m to be honest), but I do put my 13 year old brother down quite often. Just the last few months has been when I noticed this flaw in my life and it struck home. I have purposed to try and always be interested, even if I’m not, in what he has to say, and I have realized, like you, that one day he is going to be the leader of a home. Also, when he says something, even if it is not neccesarily to me, I am trying to not correct him if I differ in oppinion (unless someone is going to die!). This is challanging, but if I don’t treat him like a man, who will!!! I am the oldest in my family and have those “older sibling challanges”, but we who are need to face them, especially for our brothers sakes. If we plan on raising up a generation of Godly young men, we need to be willing to put the same amount of effort in our brothers. We are not their parents, we can’t boss them, but we can influence them. They will change the next generation, we must help now, not later. Thank you for this post, it encouraged me alot! Blessings in your endeavor, Caitria
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It is so neat that you wrote about this, because this is the subject of my next post (part two of Brothers In Christ)!
I found that when I started showing respect to my brother (six years younger than I am) our relationship ‘blossomed’ and he now says that I am his best friend.
It also works with younger sisters (wouldn’t know about older, but I am sure that it would) ;-).
Good post Miss Julia!
Joys last blog post..PTGW Part Three A: Brothers in Christ
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My brothers are 6, 5, and 2, so there’s not much to respect yet! This works for my sisters though.
Heather
Heathers last blog post..Our Family
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