Marriage Grace

For all of us who know Christ as our Savior, we not only experienced saving grace (that which we do not deserve), we also experience God’s grace every single day.  Every good gift that we enjoy is a grace gift from His loving hands –

Health – the ability to see, eat, walk, breathe on our own!
Material possessions – a home, a car, clothes, money in the bank, groceries in the cupboard.
Relationships – Marriage, children, grandchildren, friendships.
Spiritual blessings – God’s Word, a church, fellowship, answered prayer.

We could go on and on listing all God’s grace blessings to us, but I want us to think about how we can give grace to our spouse in order to put the Gospel on display to a watching world.

Let’s consider a few scenarios: 

She doesn’t mind eating at a table without all the silverware, a place mat or a centerpiece, but because she wants her husband to know she was anxious for their supper meal together, she sets the table before they eat.

Grace.

Everyone could get laundry out of the dryer in order to get dressed in the morning, but she knows her husband loves a pressed shirt.  She makes sure to remove his clothes promptly and folds them before giving his dress shirts a once over with a hot iron.

Grace.

She knows he loves Chocolate Chip cookies, so every so often she makes up a batch for him to enjoy for his dessert.

Grace.

She isn’t necessarily a neat freak, but she knows the piles on the kitchen counter bother her husband, so she makes an effort to get herself organized so that space stays clear.

Grace.

Every time we go the extra mile to give a measure of love that is above and beyond what is necessary for daily life, we are showing grace to our spouse and displaying the Gospel’s grace that we enjoy from our loving Heavenly Father. 

What do you know about your spouse that would be a special grace gift to him?  It might not even be something you enjoy, but because you want to extend grace, you can give to him like the Lord gives to you.

A few of my little grace gifts to Dale include –

• Putting his laundry away in such a manner that keeps it from wrinkling.
• Folding his socks “his” way.
• Making him “his” granola.
• Keeping a quilt close by his side of the bed.
• Making the Ginger Molasses Cookies he loves!
• Tying his bow ties.
• Not bothering his desk in his office when I dust!
• Repeating myself graciously several times when he cannot hear me speak.

Extending grace comes from getting to know the little details about your mate.  Giving those grace gifts is not only a blessing to him – it will be a blessing to you when you give it with a loving heart empowered by the Spirit of God.

How could you extend grace in your marriage today?