Loving Those Younger Than Yourself
"He who has compassion on them will lead them." Isaiah 49:10
NUTTY LITTLE BROTHERS
Do you have a younger brother? I do. Growing up with him was quite interesting!
My little brother was always such a nut. We shared the same bedroom and with him being five years younger than myself, he often kept me laughing.
In our school, girlfriends often began early. It was not uncommon for ten-year-olds to have had several steady ones. Good grief, huh?
My brother was a cutie and he had his troops of beauties vying for his attention. By the time he was 12 he had quite a stash of love notes he had saved from all his would be courters.
He kept his prized letters in old metal cigar tubes that he’d occasionally bring out and lay on his bed. When that happened, I could tell he was dying to read his newest ones to me. It was kind of goofy, but I wanted to be sensitive so I’d ask for an update. He’d give me an earful.
The notes were all of the really deep and meaningful variety. You know… Do you love me? Check the appropriate box: Yes, Maybe, Sometimes, No. One time I came across an epic love letter written in his own hand to his latest little lady. At the bottom were the deep heart-felt words expressing the most sincere words a little fellow could muster, “I love you so much…. I love you sooo much that I love you even more than my dog Ralph.” Wow wee! You can’t get much more romantic than that!
Ken was a little weird, too. I started learning karate when I was 20. I dropped by the house one weekend and he snuck up behind me and put a double-armed grip on my chest and arms from the rear: Then he dared me: “Let’s see you use your karate to get out of this.”
“Oh, Ken, you don’t want me to do that.”
“Yep try it,” he declared and squeezed harder.
I’d rather not mention what a karate person does in a situation like that. I couldn’t bear to do it to my brother. So I just did the simplest thing. I lifted my leg half-way and came down with a sizable slam of my heel on his big foot.
Oh, did he yell! He ran completely around the house screaming. You can’t begin to imagine what he said to me when he finished his high-pitched lap. Limping up to me with a tear-streaked face and a big smile, he begged, “Do it again!”
Little brothers can be so strange!
BELOVED LITTLE BROS
Yet, despite their unusual ways and sometimes peskiness, they can be such a blessing too. As I grew to love Ken more, he showed me in so many ways that he loved me. I got peanut butter sandwiches in bed, got to take over the bedroom when I visited, and landed some hugs and precious letters. Then later, I had the wonderful privilege of partly being God’s instrument in leading him to Christ. But our relationship wasn’t good until I learned to stop being so immature and selfish and stopped fighting with him. As I grew in my Christian walk, I realized that I had a lot of responsibility for him as his older brother. I had to love to love him and reach out to him. I had to be the initiator.
There’s a verse that helped me with Ken and still helps today with others who are younger than myself. It’s very significant to me. “He who has compassion on them will lead them. (Isaiah 49:10).” This means that if we want God to use us to help others, then we must humble ourselves. We need to stop looking down on others for being younger or less mature than us. We must not take the position of the superior person. We need to get down to where we fully understand the joys, sorrows and the problems of our brothers and sisters and also of Christians who are younger than ourselves. Then God will give us the chance to lead them into His goodness.
What a high and holy privilege! Don’t miss any of God’s opportunities for you!