Do you remember the time when you first fell in love and you wanted to be with your special someone all the time? Joe and I certainly did back when we were dating and living 100 miles apart. We just wanted to be together!
Well, here we are, and many of us are with our spouses all day, in the same house, working on how many days now? I thought it was absence that made the heart grow fonder? We don’t even get a chance to miss each other because the other person is always there!
Even for the best of marriages, a shelter-at-home life can be difficult. But a crisis often presents us with an opportunity to grow in ways we wouldn’t have.
Value each other’s work
Whether you're running a Fortune 500 company from home or just trying to match a pile of socks, place value on the work that your spouse is doing. Take this opportunity to understand the challenges your spouse is facing, and show empathy for the areas they are struggling with.
This is one lesson Joe and I had to learn when we became a work-from-home family 13 years ago. We both realized that each of us has difficult parts of our jobs and that both of our work is important. Show appreciation to your husband or wife for the work they're doing, especially when it feels like nothing is getting done!
Philippians 2:3 is such a great reminder to place others above yourselves. It’s easy to get caught up in your own day that we forget the command to think of others first, and that includes your spouse! The best way we can show the love of Jesus to our spouse is to show humility. And the best way to show humility is to serve.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Joe and Tara Buchanan have been married for 23 years and have four children. They have a passion for building strong marriages, and they share more of their story on their blog, Behind Our Smiles.
Serve in new ways
The extra time that we have at home can be used to serve each other in ways you haven’t before. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about your spouse and how you can serve them. If you’re not sure, just ask your spouse directly, “How can I serve you today?” You might be surprised at what you hear. Serving each other is not a chore but a privilege!
Add in extra grace
Not only is everyone struggling through this crisis, but you each might struggle in different ways. Everyone needs extra grace right now. Most of us had zero warning for such a drastic change in our lifestyle.
On the days you are tempted to withhold grace, remember the grace we have been given by Jesus. In the best and worst of times, He is abundant in his grace towards us. Commit to making your home one that is overflowing with grace towards all its members! A little grace goes a long way!