We Were Family: Exploring Sibling Relationships in the Bible Through a Psychological Lens

Have you ever found yourself in a fight with your sibling that lasted a couple days? Months? Or, even years? Do you feel misunderstood or treated unfairly by members of your family? You are not alone. Thankfully God's word vividly illustrates many sibling relationships gone awry along with lessons to glean from psychological research providing insight, and modern day application. Let's be real- there is no picture-perfect family. Only on Instagram does that exist. And I guarantee you that behind that perfect social media post are imperfect people struggling to love and accept one another. While God created the family unit, He also calls us away from family at times, often to grow us and mature us into the person he wants us to become. His plans do not align with our cultural ideas of the family closeness we see depicted in the media as a reflection of our societal values. So, what happens when our plans and His plans for our families don't match up?