Relationships

The past couple of weeks, the girls and I have been looking into Galatians 5:22-26, also known as "The Fruits of the Spirit". We have looked at each one throughout scriptures. So far we have talked about love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.

I had a thought about relationships while we were talking about faithfulness today. The fruits of the Spirit are an excellent way to teach the girls about relationships with family, friendships, and future husbands (as I have 3 girls). 

I pointed out to them that in our relationships we should use the fruits of the Spirit. We should love our family. We should be patient, kind, and good to our family. This concept also works with friendships. We should look to friends to be kind, good, loving, peaceful, and faithful. If our "friends" are not practicing these then it is time to look for different friends.

Lastly, I pointed out that at some point in their life God will begin showing them what to look for in future spouses. I told them that if the person they are looking for does not practice the fruits of the Spirit then they are not the right person for them. 

I guess I am teaching my kids to be picky about friends and possible mates, but I think we should be a lot more picky about relationships. We need to be careful about the company we keep. We want our lives to be surrounded with positive people who share our beliefs; people who will challenge us to grow in our relationship with God.