READ: 1 John 3:10-18
“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” Romans 12:10
Brotherly love is the love that a person has for a brother. It is the strong affection for another that rises out of kinship and personal relationships. Brotherly love shows concern for others. When something affects your brother it must affect you. That is brotherly love.
The personal trait of brotherly love humbly puts others before you. This is humility; and before honour is humility.
The personal trait of brotherly love is needed to prevent strife between close relations.
“And Abram said unto Lot, let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren” (Genesis 13:8).
The personal trait of brotherly love causes you to sacrifice yourself for others. Brotherly love causes you to lay down your love for the brethren. People who are sacrificial and lay down themselves for others are often productive. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 John 3:16, NIV).