“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Mark 12:31 (NKJV)
We don’t have to teach our children to think about themselves. That part comes naturally. What takes effort, grace, and consistency is teaching them to see beyond themselves—to recognize the needs of others, to value different perspectives, to serve when it’s inconvenient, and to love when it’s not returned. And the best way to teach that? Live it.
We all want our kids to be confident, secure, and strong. But we don’t want them to be self-centered, entitled, or unaware of others. That tension between identity and humility is where love does its deepest work. Because real maturity doesn’t just ask, “What do I need?”—it begins to ask, “What can I give?”
And that doesn’t come by accident.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” — Philippians 2:3–4 (NKJV)
The way we talk about others in our home—how we treat the person at the drive-thru, how we respond when we’re interrupted, how we care for one another in tight spaces—all of that is shaping our children. And if we’re honest, it’s reshaping us, too.
The world tells them: “Do what makes you happy. Put yourself first. Don’t let anyone get in your way.” But Jesus said something entirely different:
“Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” — Mark 10:43–45 (NKJV)
Serving others doesn’t make us less—it makes us more like Jesus. When we help our kids learn to serve, to wait their turn, to share, to clean up without being asked, to speak kindly even when they’re frustrated—we’re giving them tools that last far longer than any academic or athletic skill.
We’re also teaching them that love is more than a feeling. It’s a choice. It’s an action. And it matters.
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18 (NKJV)
Love speaks up. Love steps in. Love makes room. Love notices. And love doesn’t need applause.
So what does it look like in real life?
It might be noticing when a sibling is overwhelmed and helping with a chore without being asked. It might be sitting next to the child who’s always alone at school. It might be choosing not to argue just to be right. It might be letting someone else go first. It might be praying for someone instead of gossiping about them. And sometimes, it’s just learning to say, “How can I help?”
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2 (NKJV)
That kind of love begins at home. And the more we practice it within our four walls, the more natural it becomes outside them.
A Challenge for the Week:
This week, help your family put love into action.
Here are two simple ideas:
- Make space to serve someone together. It might be bringing a meal, writing a card, helping a neighbor, or sharing something with a family in need. Let your children be part of the decision and the action.
- Speak appreciation aloud. At dinner or bedtime, take time to affirm something you saw someone in the family do for another person that day. Let love be seen and heard.
Loving others isn’t always convenient, but it’s always worth it. And when we live that out, we’re not just teaching kindness—we’re shaping character.
Next Week: Peace and Purpose While the Kids Are Home
With school out and kids home all day, how do we keep peace, set boundaries, and keep little hands and hearts busy—without screens or screams?
