Every evening at 7:00, no matter where she is or how tired or busy she may be, Jo calls her elderly mother. If for some reason Jo isn’t able to talk at that time, she makes sure to text her mom to let her know. Even though it can be a challenge to do this day after day, Jo does it gladly because she loves her mother and doesn’t want her to worry.
When our children were young, my husband and I bought a home a distance away. But we needed to wait to move, and school was about to start. Knowing it would be stressful for our children to switch schools twice, for two weeks I made the long trek from home to their new schools and to my office and back because I wanted to minimize their stress.
No matter if we’re married or single, have children or not, we have opportunities to show love to those God has placed in our lives—grandparents, parents, siblings, nephews, and nieces. Because God first loved us, He enables and empowers us through His Spirit to love our families and others (1 John 4:7–21). First Corinthians 13:4–7 offers us some guidelines:
- Love is patient
- Love is kind
- Love does not dishonor others
- Love is not self-seeking
- Love is not easily angered
- Love keeps no record of wrongs
Loving our family through providing for their needs is also a God-given responsibility (1 Timothy 5:8)—and that includes physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
How can you pour God’s love into others He’s put in your path? Think about the ways you can encourage them and then take action.
Alyson Kieda, Our Daily Bread author
Watch also:
Setting Boundaries with Your Family
Surprisingly, many people can’t fathom creating boundaries with family. But the hard truth is that family, many times, are the first people we need to set boundaries with. Watch the video to learn the importance of setting boundaries with loved ones.
Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.
