Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

HOW DO YOU SHOW RESPECT to parents, and how much should parents run your life? What is a person’s responsibility toward a grown sibling? Should you lend him or her money? Help them with constant marriage problems?

One woman shared how her parents thought she and her husband needed to buy her siblings new cars just because they had purchased a new car. Another had a sibling who thought her childless sister was obligated to pay for her three nieces to go to private school. Another sister was always at her house. Are you wondering how you can show love and respect and still maintain healthy boundaries?

Perhaps the most loving thing we can do is to give a loved one responsibility for his or her own life. I try to ask myself, If love wants the best for another person, then what would love do?

One mother, who realized her constant bailing out of her grown son was actually crippling his growth into maturity, wrapped up a note that read, “This is the best and most difficult gift I have ever given you. Enclosed you will find a check, the last one you will receive from me. This will cover your first and last month’s rent and your bills for one month, but you also see that I have enclosed a set of apron strings. I am giving you the gift of being responsible for your own life, so I have cut the apron strings. Please enjoy this gift. All my love, Mom.”

Real love makes the hard calls, does the brave thing, and encourages people to step up and step out. Love gives generously from a willing heart in a way that encourages responsible maturity. Sometimes the most treasured gift is the most difficult to give and impossible to wrap.