sibling squabbles

I was an only child, so parenting has taught me a lot. One of the things I've learned is that my two girls have a reasonable amount of sibling rivalry. They don't spend every waking moment fighting, just some moments. Now I understand that's not unusual. But their squabbles still grate on my nerves and sometimes their childish cruelty ("you babyface!" "I'm not your sister anymore!") cuts me to the heart. More than 30 minutes of bantering just wears me out!

But I can say that I've never experienced more joy than watching them play peacefully, work cooperatively, and treat each other fairly. I wish it could be like that all the time, not just for my nerves but for their own happiness.

In this way I get a small glimpse of God's desire for his people around the world. Imagine His pleasure when a peace treaty is signed, when friends reconcile, when people unite for a common cause. Psalm 133 begins "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live to gether in unity!" The desire for this peace has been placed on our hearts also.

In the New Testament, Jesus warns us of the alternative: "But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgement! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell!" (Matthew 5:22)

Inevitably, the squabbles move into the plaintive realm ("she hit me first!" "she's not nice!"). I'm trying to teach my daughters to concentrate on what they are doing, not what their sister is doing. Kind of like the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be peaceful. Cooperate. Treat people fairly.

The world would be a different place if all of us did so.

DJS