Galatians 6:1a, 2

“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

We all struggle with sin. Some days seem better than others…but the life of every Christian has its ups and downs. Today’s verse isn’t addressing our occasional sins, but the ones we tend to struggle with on a regular basis…ones that our family lives may make difficult to avoid.

It could be impatience, or anger, or disrespect, or disobedience. Whatever it is, one of the key’s to overcoming it is found in the actions of more mature Christians…as long as they are gentle and humble. If your younger sibling is struggling with his or her anger, yelling at them isn’t the solution; you need to gently counsel them towards patience and self-control with a calm voice. The same goes for parents!

Finally, Paul urges us to share our burdens. When a sibling or child or spouse sins, our reaction shouldn’t be anger or condemnation or wrath. It should be compassion…as if they fell down and scraped their knee. You heart should ache for them and your reaction should be to help…not to yell at them.

APPLICATION: This is a tricky topic because it usually means the older siblings have a different role than the younger ones. The most important thing we need to do is learn to approach one another’s sins with gentleness and humility, seeking to help one another down the road of spiritual maturity. Discuss the right ways and wrong ways to react to each other’s sin.