God created the family in order to teach us vital principles about relationships, and those principles will keep us in good stead throughout our lives. This article is the first in a series of "Turning the Hearts..." articles that will cover seven essential principles that we can learn from being in our families, if our families are founded on the Word of God. Let's look at principle number one in this issue. Share Whenever there is a home filled with several individuals, sharing is necessary for creating a peaceful and productive environment. Sharing the bathroom, sharing the bedroom, sharing food at the dinner table, sharing TV time, sharing the telephone, sharing personal time. The list could go on and on, but you get the idea. Sharing is essential when we are in a family setting. The opposite of sharing is selfishness! No one likes a selfish person who always puts his or her own needs above others. The book The Family, produced by the Royal Bank of Canada, has this to say about selfishness: "People should learn from childhood that to be dubbed selfish is the worst thing possible." The book goes on to say, "Those who will try sharing, consciously and sincerely, have an adventure coming to them just as thrilling as the child's first toddling steps into [a] strange, romantic and exciting land" (1973, p. 31). Of course, the Bible speaks to this issue. Several examples in the book of Acts relate to us that sharing was done by the early Church (Acts 2:44-47; 4:32-37). Jesus' words were a constant reminder to them, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). We all need to practice sharing in our families. Parents need to set the example for their children by practicing sharing in their own lives. Children need to be taught to share their toys, food, time and other things with siblings and others. If we learn the principle of sharing, we will be appreciated in our lives now and in the life to come in God's Kingdom. Remember, He shared His Son with us (John 3:16). UN