Sometimes, my wife and I get on each other’s nerves. I know that never happens in your home, but it does in mine. Sometimes we irritate each other. Sometimes we offend each other. Sometimes I am insensitive. Sometimes she is crabby.
Just the other day, she was not feeling well and came home after a long day. I forgot it was my night to cook supper, and I had forgotten about a meeting I had at 7pm. She scrambled to get supper going while I quickly prepared for my meeting. In the process, the grill was suddenly engulfed in fire with flames scorching the outside storage room wall about ten feet high. She yelled for help, I fumbled outside to connect the hose, and neither of us sang, “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”
Such times tempt us to lash out in anger, frustration, or disappointment. Because my spouse does not always adequately meet my needs, I may feel justified in criticizing or putting her down.
In Galatians, Paul warns that if we bite and devour each other, we will consume each other. In a marriage, bickering, fussing, and fighting can lead to a lot of trouble. Once angry words start, they are hard to stop.
Pastor John MacArthur wrote, “The first test of Christian kindness, and the test of every aspect of love, is the home. The Christian husband who acts like a Christian is kind to his wife and children.”
The Bible says the most important attitude and action is to love our neighbor as ourselves. My wife is certainly my neighbor. So, I remind myself to show her the kind of love that I want shown to me. That may mean to give her space, to back off when irritated, and to find practical ways to serve her. And sometimes it simply means to say I am sorry.
We can serve one another in love.
