When we learn about the loyal steadfast covenant love of the Lord, we are able to lay the foundation for cultivating that love within our family. Today I’m sharing about covenantal love and how that can help cultivated friendships among our children.
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Covenant Love
There’s a term for coventantal love in Hebrew called hesed.
There isn’t a great English translation of the word, so you can see it in Scripture as steadfast love, mercy, loving kindness.
Hesed refers to a steadfast faithfulness and unwavering commitment.
Hesed seeks the good of another. It’s not feelings based, but acts based on that covenant, meaning a person acts in love and serves. Covenant love is obligatory.
Covenants mean obligation.
God has entered into THE MOST precious, remarkable covenant of them all.
“God bound himself to act toward his people in certain ways, and he is utterly faithful to his self-commitment.” – Ligonier https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/loyal-love-hesed
And we see the fullness of God’s covenant love toward us through Jesus’s death on the cross. Jesus, the only one who was ever truly loyal to God the father and to his neighbor, became the covenant breaker and the curse so we might obtain his righteousness.
When we talk about love, we must start with that loyal covenant love the Lord bestows upon us. Then out of that love, we work out our covenant love toward him and toward others.
Siblings Can Be Best Friends
Biblical Loyalty in our homes creates a family culture that provides a security of love for them and encourages them to mature in godliness. That culture doesn’t end inside our homes but expands in our churches, community, cities, country and so forth.
One of the things I’m hopeful and prayerful about is as we work at being faithful towards one another in our household is for our children to be friends now, as they grow, and into adulthood.
I want to share a few more ideas with you from author Karen Andreola who wrote Mother Culture. This is a great handbook for mother’s who are eager to cultivate the souls of their children. It’s full of some many topics that truly have inspired and spurred me on and given me wisdom. I love that I can flip through it and read here and there where it interests me or I’m looking for wisdom or encouragement on a specific topic.
I want to share some of her wisdom in cultivating these sibling relationships.
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Grow souls in sunshine
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Never correct in anger
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Friendly company – read stories of siblings who love each other and work together
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Direct teaching
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Table Talk
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Co operative work co operative play
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Quiet time
“Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” Psalm 133:1
Resources
(amazon links are affiliate links)
Jonathan’s Covenant with David: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/jonathans-covenant-with-david
Jonathan and David’s Friendship: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/david-ascendant
Loyal Love – Hesed: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/loyal-love-hesed
