Treat others in the same way you would want them to treat you. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? When Jesus gave us this message in the gospel of Luke, He was actually referring to our enemies—He asks us to respond to our enemies with love and respect. In the next couple of verses He goes on to say: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?” (Luke 6:32–33). Ouch! This is hard enough when it applies to my family and those I love, but really? To those who mistreat me? To those who do me wrong? I am supposed to treat them with
love and respect too? Without the help of the Holy Spirit, this command would be impossible!

Our homes are a great testing ground for our children to prepare for the real world. At times, our own family members can feel like enemies in our territory. That selfish brother or that little sister who tells a white lie can become an adversary in our own home. This issue of HomeFront is full of practical ways to put others first and care for others’ needs above our own.

In the CONVERSATION STARTER, we ask that your family be on the lookout for God’s love throughout the day. Encouraging children to look for God’s love is the first step in the process of showing His love to others. In GOD’S WORD, we recount the beautiful story of Jesus welcoming children. Despite what the culture around Him deemed the appropriate response to a child, Jesus treated them with love and respect.

Our EVERYDAY DAD BLOG is another wonderful article by Scott Dannemiller, “The Accidental Missionary.” He challenges dads to “man up” and become equal partners in parenting, recognizing the importance of a dad’s role in a child’s spiritual life. TOUGH TOPICS is written by a mom with a special-needs son who shares how the addition of their youngest son has impacted their family and caused them to implement love and respect in their home.

Each month we recognize that God continues to bring rich and supportive authors and ideas our way to inspire and equip you in your role as a parent. We are forever grateful that you allow us in your home!