Giving Grace

By: Jenifer Metzger

I want you to picture this.

Your husband asked you to do a couple of things for him today while he was at work. He asked you to make a phone call, drop his clothes at the cleaners on the way to Junior's school, and drop some bills in the mailbox. He gets home from work and asks if you got those things done. You smack your forehead realizing that you completely forgot to do any of it. You apologize, explaining that your day was full and it slipped your mind, but you will be sure to get it done tomorrow.

Your husband will have one of two reactions. He will get upset that you forgot his things and there could be some strife the rest of the night. Or, he could tell you he understands, offer to take care of one of the things tonight and thank you for adding the other two things to your plans tomorrow. I don't even have to ask which reaction you prefer. Of course we wouldn't want our husband to become upset and for there to be disagreement. We would want his grace.

Now picture this.

You are heading out to Bible study with your friends and ask your husband to please throw in a load of laundry, take the trash out and bath the baby. You come home from Bible study and see that none of what you asked had been done. Your husband apologizes explaining that he forgot or was busy with something else but he'll help you get those things done now.

You will have one of two reactions. You will become upset and huff and puff all night, complain that you have to do it all and give him the silent treatment in the bedroom. Or, you can tell your husband that you understand and you would appreciate his help now. If I asked you out of ten times, how many times do you respond in the second way, what would you say? Could you easily say that more often than not you extend grace? Or do you react the first way more often?

We want our husbands to give us grace. We want them to quickly accept our apology. But how often do we extend grace? How often do we accept their apology the first time it is given? You may think your husband doesn’t deserve grace. And you would be right. He doesn't. But friend, hear me now, none of us deserve grace. Not even you. The Bible tells us in Romans that none of us deserve grace nor could we ever earn grace.

Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.

Romans 11:6

The Bible also tells us that we were given grace. Not because we deserve it or earned it, but we were given grace because of the measure of Christ's gift.

Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Ephesians 4:7

Jesus extends grace to us continually, even when we are at our worst. If Jesus extends grace to us, even at our worst, how can we not extend grace to our husband? Practice offering grace.