Daily Devotions
Putting On God's Kindness in Marriage
Title: Putting On God's Kindness in Marriage
Reading for April 2: 2 Samuel 4-7
Weekly reading for April 1-7: Luke 5-9
"...love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil."
Luke 6:35
"Why should I do anything for him? He won't notice!"
"Why should I do that for her? All she does is complain!"
Sometimes we justify indifference toward our husband or wife on the basis of justice. Marriage is 50/50. As soon as we feel we're doing more than our "fair share" we are justified in withholding our love. Why should we care for our mates when they are doing nothing for us? It's not right. It's not fair. We should teach them a lesson.
Marriage is not the only relationship poisoned by this kind of thinking. We do this in spiritual relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ, with other family relationships, at work, etc.
God's love does not speak this way. It doesn't think this way. God is kind to the ungrateful. He loves us even though we don't notice half of what he does for us. God is kind to the evil. He loves us though we do nothing to deserve it.
Father, teach us to be kind toward others as you are to us.
