My two-year old daughter is a social butterfly in the making. Seeing a friend – whether planned or unexpected – is always the peak of her day. As I watch her begin to navigate the waters of relationships, I praise God for designing his children (big and little!) to live in community and fellowship, and for giving us wonderful Scriptures to guide us in this endeavor.
Our gracious God blesses us through our earthly companions and the lessons they teach or inspire on our journey through this broken world! As I spend time with my daughter thanking God for our friends and the ways He has used our friends to bless us, she learns not only the value of fellowship, but also learns what kind of friend she likes to have and what kind of friend God wants her to BE! Being a good friend goes beyond taking turns with a favorite toy. Good friends are encouraging, supportive, honest, forgiving, servant-hearted, kind – the list goes on and on! The Word is packed with more than 50 “one-another” commands that we can both model for our children and use to encourage and admonish them as they learn to be good friends.
Memorizing and applying some of these verses together is a great way to guide our children in their relationships. If our child persists in complaining about a visiting friend who took a toy or knocked her down, we can remind them of I Peter 4:9, "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." When we meet friends for lunch, we demonstrate I Corinthians 11:33, which instructs us to "wait for each other" before we eat. They learn by example Galatians 5:13, "serve one another in love", when we deliver a meal to a sick friend or a new mom - even though it slows us down a bit when they tag along! Helping our kids exhibit “one-another” friendship can be as simple as picking out fun notecards and helping them write encouraging notes to playmates or schoolmates in the spirit of 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.” The possibilities are endless. Life will not neglect to present regular opportunities for us, and our children to love one another!
-- Marcy Schuermann is a stay at home mom to her two girls, Amelia (2 years) and Norah (5 months). She serves in children's ministry at her church, and previously worked as a public relations director for an education nonprofit. She is also a wonderful example of friend who displays one-another love. Thanks Marcy, for sharing!
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