Ephesians 4:2

“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”

This almost sounds like an impossible goal, doesn’t it? Can you really be humble and gentle all of the time? What about when a family member is mean to you, or disrespects you, or teases you, or tells on you, or ignores you? Are you just supposed to take it?

The answer is yes…and no. The verse is not telling you to become a doormat for abuse, but rather, to always engage another person with humility and gentleness, even though they may have sinned against you. The verse also gives us the “why” by reminding us that we all have plenty of faults of our own! Like the old saying goes: Don’t throw stones when you are in a glass house.

Everyone in my family (and probably yours, too) says they have love for one another. That’s awesome! Praise God! But that love is only real when it is acted upon, and “making allowances for each other’s faults” is a great way to do just that.

When a family member sins against you…Be humble! Be gentle! Be patient! After all, wouldn’t you like the same treatment from them? That’s what Christian love is all about.

APPLICATION: Discuss how you can show humility, gentleness, and patience with each other when you sin against one another. Pray together and ask the Lord to help you do just that.