A Sister's Love for Her Brother*

by Brittany S.
from Virtuous Daughters, January 2005~Volume 4, Number 10

Dear Sisters,
    Tiffany has picked a wonderful topic this month, since it is exactly what I had planned to write about. :) I have had a problem before with nagging my older brother, Justin. 

Then, one night, when Tiffany, Justin, and my younger brother were all in the room Tiffany and I share, I happened to nag Justin again. When Justin left, Tiffany had a little talk with me. She explained to me that men do not like it when women tell them what to do, since God designed men to lead. Tiffany made up a little story that I learned from. That night, instead of nagging my brother, I found ways to bless him. 
   
And I was eagerly looking forward to the results. But Tiffany told me later that I couldn’t just do it one night, but had to serve my brother always. She also told me that I shouldn’t serve my brother to get something back, but serve him out of love. I was somewhat disappointed at this, but that is true. When you do a kind deed, you shouldn’t expect something back. It is hard sometimes to bless your brother rather than to be selfish. This is a verse in Proverbs: “A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.”-Proverbs 27:15 This is another verse you may want to memorize: “A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.”-Proverbs 15:1 Here is another verse about a contentious woman: “It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a  brawling woman and in a wide house.” –Proverbs 25:24
   
There are many ways to serve your brother...Serving his plate at the dinner table or doing his chores can bring happy results. I also one night cleared the table which is usually Justin’s chore. Also, I asked if I could do the rest of Justin’s chores, but my mother wanted Justin to do them; she did not want me to do all that work. I whined just a little because I really wanted to do it. Tiffany told me after that that a servant doesn’t whine. Also, a servant must be cheerful and happy and accept any of the jobs he or she may be given.    

Also, when you gain a closer relationship with your brother, he will maybe even come to you with some of his troubles. That is exactly what sisters and brothers are for. Like one time, I went to Justin to confess something that I had done to him that probably wasn’t very nice. You should not be embarrassed or afraid to go to your parents or siblings with anything that is going wrong in your life. If you have a problem...ask your parents' or siblings' advice. You may have already learned this. 
  
When a brother and sister have a close relationship, a brother gains confidence with his sister. So if you want to win the love of your brother, why don’t you start loving him? “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”-Proverbs 17:17​