The Ministry of the Mug: Serving Your Spouse in Love

“Through love, serve one another.”
Galatians 5:13

I have a terrible habit. Every morning I take my coffee out to the porch where Nate and I have our quiet time, and every morning I forget to bring in the empty coffee cup. Instead, I leave it sitting on the table next to where I sit. It quickly becomes a prime target for preschoolers to toss around, or for boys to knock over while wrestling over Legos.

Nate could gripe and fuss about my annoying habit. More than once he’s helped sweep up broken mug pieces or blotted leftover coffee that spilled on the couch. Instead, he’s decided to offer me what I call The Ministry of the Mug. Rather than complain about how I’m always forgetting to bring in my coffee cup, he simply brings it in for me. It’s been going on so long, we share a little smile when he comes through the kitchen and places my coffee cup in the sink. It’s become an inside joke that we share.

While Nate is stellar at bringing in coffee cups, he isn’t always the best at ringing the laundry hamper. His may be The Ministry of the Mug, but mine is The Ministry of the Socks.

You could probably list a few of your partner’s annoying habits, too. Living with another human means being aggravated by their quirks. But I’ve never seen a great marriage where the partners gripe and complain about all the little things the other person neglects to do. However, great marriages are made when husbands and wives practice serving in place of nagging.

You get to choose whether to let small things become big irritants, or to protect unity by simply doing the small things. While I can’t promise that your spouse will realize what a gift you’re giving by serving rather than complaining, I can say that Christ will be immensely pleased with your attitude. And, you’ll be protecting your marriage from one less conflict.

Consider one annoying thing your spouse habitually does. Decide that today is the day you take up The Ministry of the ___________ and let it become one small way you serve your husband through love.

Ministering with You,

-Beth