Family Activities on Loving One Another
paving the way to loving like Jesus
Hi friends! Thanks for reading.
This week’s topic is a helpful reminder for all of us. Praying it is helpful for your home as well as mine.
Please feel free to pick and choose what works for you in these companions. If that’s only saying the little-gy with your small one, that’s okay! You can scale these up or down for older/younger kids. Nevertheless, I hope you find these companions valuable.
Little-gy
God is love and he loves me.
Jesus showed this on the cross.
The Holy Spirit guides my heart.
He shows me how to love like Jesus.
Because God loves me, I love others.
Little Moment:
Find a way to meet your kiddo(s) this week in their love language, to demonstrate loving one another
Some ideas:
If that’s physical touch, give them an extra big snuggle or play a tickling/wrestling game
If that’s words of affirmation, write them a special note or give them a special, heartfelt compliment
If that’s quality time, take a little walk together and chat or sit and play a game together
If that’s gifts, find a special treat they love or take them to the dollar store to get a balloon
If that’s acts of service, clean up their room/playroom or take extra care to do some of their responsibilities they don’t enjoy doing themselves
Activity:
Read: John 13:34–35
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (ESV)
Try:
If possible, pray with your child a little while before starting this activity. Pray and ask that God would direct your hearts to who/how to love this week.
When you are ready, take a few minutes to talk about some ways that God might be calling you to “love one another” this week.
Feel free to make a list, but don’t have it be too long or overwhelming.
Stick to 1-3 memorable ideas based on your child’s age and abilities.
Talk:
What habits are keeping you from loving others right now? Is there a sin in particular that keeps tripping you up?
Feel free to share your own example, sharing what God is putting on your own heart with this question.
Pray with your child. Help show them how to confess their sin and repent so that they can better love others.
Modeling with your own example first might be a helpful way to eliminate any shame or embarrassment they feel about their sin, and demonstrates that you are human and know that you are a sinner, too!
God is love. He is perfectly loving in the Father/Spirit/Son relationship and in his love for us. He puts this aspect of who he is inside of us, too. The Holy Spirit directs our hearts to show this to others.
Discussion:
What does it mean to love one another? What does that look like?
Is loving one another easy? How about when someone has hurt you?
Why do you feel like Jesus commanded us to love one another?
Together, go back and revisit the second half of the verse for this week
What does it show others when we love them, especially when we are feeling hurt or angry?
It shows them that we belong to God, because God is love. The forgiveness and grace we show others is like the grace God shows us. People will see that Christians are people characterized by love, and God will use this for his glory.