The Duties of a Sister

Growing up, I always wanted a twin brother. I'm not quite sure why. I guess I just thought it would be fun to be a twin and I already had a sister, so I wanted a brother. I knew very little about boys and perhaps that's why there was a charm about the thought of having one whom I could see and intereact with on a daily basis. Well, I never got my twin, but years later I did get a brother!

It is so neat the way God made boys and girls different. Even from the get-go, there are distinct characteristics that emerge from both genders. Deep down inside every little girl likes to get dressed up to look fancy every once and awhile and what girl doesn't want to be treated like a princess? Boys, on the other hand, relish the thought of mud and grease. And somehow, they can all make the truck, gun and sword sounds practically from birth! (Girls just can't make it sound the right way- we've tried to get Ethan to show us, but try as we may, we can't!) So, knowing these particular differences, and glorifying God for them, how do we relate to our brothers?

They are created to discover new things and take risks. We can help them do this- encourage them, provide ways for them to do this without molly-coddling them. Many men, having taken great risks have changed the way the world is. Some for the better and some for the worst. If we see our brothers investing time in something worthless, it is our duty to encourage them to use their brain power elsewhere, perhaps even pointing them in the right direction!

God has given most men, a natural leadership ability. Often we sisters stifle this by trying to take control. Just because they are our brothers, doesn't mean they don't deserve the respect that God wants us to give them. This can be especially hard if the brother is younger than you. There are times when we should encourage our little brothers to take the lead, make the decisions and then be willing to comply with them (unless, of course, they are ungodly decisions). This will help them to develop their leadership skills. Heaven knows we could use a lot more godly men who are willing to lead in this country!!

It is vital that we invest our time in our brothers. Whether it be listening to their ideas, stories, playing games with them or helping them complete some sort of task. This is sacrificing our time for them. We will be blessed if we give of our time. In the long run, we will have much better relationships with our brothers if we spend time with them, unselfishly.

The most important thing you can do for you brothers is to pray for them. Daily and constantly. The battles of flesh and the temptations of the world are pressing against their hearts, wanting to gain a foothold, but God is bigger than those battles and He can strengthen our brothers. He simply asks us to pray.

Even if you don't have a brother, you can still encourage and pray for the men that are in your life- be it fathers, grandfathers, cousins or brothers in the faith. We have our duties toward them as well. The influence of a woman is often underestimated. Be careful of that influence and seek to use it for the glory of God!