The God of Relationships

On Monday, my wife Mel and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. It was an awesome time of reflecting and celebrating on the past two years of marriage together.

The reason I began this blog was to intentionally seek out and write about the harmonies of God's grace in the world around me.

There is no aspect of my life where God's grace is more evident to me than in my marriage.

This is not a post where I want to brag about how amazing my wife is (even though she truly is the best!) or a post where I reveal the innermost secrets of our marriage....

This is a post where I am acknowledging God's work and grace in my life through my marriage.

When I make mistakes and deserve to be scolded, Mel's forgiveness reminds me of Christ's forgiveness. When I feel sad or angry, Mel's ready, loving embrace reminds me of the Holy Spirit's comfort. When I get prideful or boastful, Mel's gentle rebuke reminds me of God's firm, loving hand and Jesus' humility. When I feel unmotivated, Mel's enthusiastic passion for people and the gospel gives me a new vigour and passion to persevere.

These are just a couple of ways that the harmonies of God's grace resonate in our marriage.

Often in our relationships, we get into a rut and it can be easy to forget to appreciate our significant others and what they do for us. It is also easy to forget that one of the primary ways that God cares for us and loves us is through the love we receive from our partners.

Relationships aren't easy or perfect. But even though our human relationships are messy, God still works in them and reveals his grace through them. How are you seeking signs of God's grace in your relationships with your spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, friends and family?

"And so we know and rely on the love that God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."

- 1 John 4:16 (NIV)