two kinds of kids

I was thinking today about how there are two kinds of kids--there are the "younger brothers" who get wild and want to live it up and blow all the inheritance and there are the "older brothers", the "good" kids who want to stay home and be responsible and please their parents. Parents tend to be naturally drawn toward the older brothers, feel like they're doing really well spiritually, less prone to worry about them and take them for granted, enjoy being around them, give them more positive reinforcement, etc, etc. But, in God's eyes, the older brother and the younger brother are equally sinful and in need of grace, it's just that their struggles and their needs are completely different and manifest themselves differently on the outside.

The older brother is more prone to be jealous and judgemental, to say 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people!' The older brother is more likely to think that he's doing pretty well on his own, that he doesn't need grace. That God loves him because he's so loveable.

I know because I'm an older brother.

So I think we need to be careful that we don't grow comfortable with the older brothers, thinking they don't need our guidance, prayers, and focus. We need to be careful to recognize that each of our children has their own sinful flesh struggles. That they each need parental guidance and the help of the Holy Spirit in a different way.