Often, a chorus of sounds can be heard erupting from the basement. At times it is laughter or well meaning playing, running and hiding. At other times it is anger, frustration, and cries of pain. Sometimes it’s hard to tell which is which, but that’s quickly put to rest when one of my boys comes running upstairs crying, “He hit me!”

Like any good parent, I want to pretend nothing happened, but realize that I do need to address this heinous act of violence. The conversation goes something like this:

Me: “What happened?”
My boy: “He hit me!”
Me: “Yeah, I know, but why did he hit you?”
My boy: “Because he is mean.”
Me: “What happened before he hit you?”
My boy: “I hit him.”
Me: “Why did you hit him?”
My boy: “Because he hit me first.”

I may have just described about every single childhood sibling battle, but there really is a lesson to be learned. Too often we find ourselves pitted against the very people we are supposed to love and have fellowship with. John explains that the world will know us – God’s children - by our love.

You may try to get along with others in the church, but one person sat in your seat last week, or another person said something about you. Suddenly you become angry and frustrated at people in the church, but it’s okay because they started it. Eventually, you get to a point where you love your church, just not the people in it.

In chapter 12 of his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul explains how important each person is to the body of Christ. He uses an analogy of our physical bodies and explains that each part of the body is needed and no less important than another. We are one as the body of Christ.

Herein lays the powerful example of love. Jesus explains that it is easy to love someone who loves you back, but much harder if he doesn’t love you back. As believers, we are called to show love regardless. It is this love that we will be known by. It does not make the pain of hurt easier, but it does make the joy of obedience sweeter.

Of course, that’s a lot harder to tell a kid.

Read: 1 Corinthians 12