The title sums it up. The Lord has placed a strong (and VERY obvious) calling on my life to enter ministry. He has given me dreams, open visions, prophetic word from other brothers and sisters, and spoken to me directly (inwardly during prayer).
I have NO doubts about my calling and the mission he's placed me on.
However, my wife is not a strong Christian. She was raised Catholic, and they weren't even very involved in that. The Lord has built my faith over the last 5 years or so through his prophetic words coming true over and over again. The Lord took me from the road I was on in grand supernatural fashion, and placed me on the right path toward his ministry. (I was in a Christian cult and didn't know it, I was deceived). She has zero faith. And on top of that, she fakes faith, going along when I receive a word, vision, or dream and pretending she's totally down with it...until it comes time to actually "step out" in that faith, doing our part until it's time for God to do his. Then the world's gonna fall apart, in her eyes, when I start taking those first steps out on the water toward Jesus.
The Lord showed me in a dream about four years ago, that I would come to a time when it would look like I was going to lose my family, but in the end we would be stronger than ever. My wife (although she doesn't know it yet) is called to be at my side as I go down this road. She's called to ministry too, just doesn't realize it, and refuses to see it. I can't force anything, I have to leave this in the Lord's hands. My wife doesn't trust my judgement at all. And partially, rightly so. (I had an affair several years ago, I was addicted to painkillers that the VA threw at me like candy, and I got wrapped up in the Hebrew Roots cult). I totally understand that she has fear.
BUT...that doesn't change what the Lord has told me and shown me. He also told me that I was trying to dive deep, and there would be alot of people like "water wings" trying to hold me back. She resists any effort to attend any church full time. It's always a struggle. Has been for 17 years. Things are coming to a head because I'm involved in a charismatic church (which is where the Lord told me I need to plant my butt right now) and the power of the Holy Spirit scares her. She thinks it's another cult. Nevermind that I've been associated with them for 5 years now. But NOW that I'm starting to take my call seriously and taking small steps to implement as the Lord leads, the things attached to her are crying out. She went running back to our old church (that she hated and did everything she could to disrupt attendance there) crying that I'm crazy and "addicted to God." Unfortunately what I'm seeing from everyone around me is the unBiblical position that "family comes first." Before serving Jesus? The state of the church today saddens me.
I know my family is important. I love them dearly. I DO NOT want to lose them. But I also absolutely refuse to let God's call pass me by. I'm prepared for the worst if it's necessary. Unfortunately my wife's trying to bring it.
What say you guys? I could use some input. Please, if your answer is "you can't minister if your home's not in order"...save it. I know that. This is part of that process. The Lord is shaking my home and putting it in right alignment. I have faith that ultimately, I will minister in a manner pleasing to the Lord.
I just don't know if my wife will be along for the ride. Some things I have strong faith with, but I'm still human and struggle with others. Thank you.
It is very hard to question someone when they say "God showed me [this and that]. But one thing stands glaringly obvious. You are in a committed marriage where you made vows before God. To be accepted into the ministry, you have to have the full support of your wife. If God has not shown her, then you cannot go forward. It doesn't matter how strong or weak your wife's faith is, you have a God-given commitment to your marriage.
You can quote Scripture and say you have received prophecies until the cows come home, but if the circumstances don't line up, you cannot proceed. If you do, you will be making a grievous error and you will have to own the consequences of that for the rest of your life. If your wife divorces you, that will be a big barrier to you entering the ministry anyway, and even if she reluctantly agrees with you going into the ministry, her lack of support for you and the constant sniping at you will not only ruin your marriage anyway, but will ruin your ministry as well.
I believe that nine out of ten dreams, visions, prophetic words, can come as easily from the world, flesh or the devil, other than from the Lord. The Lord is very consistent. He will honour your marriage vow, and will not say or do anything that will threaten your marriage.
I always wanted to go into the ministry, but the doors never opened for me, and when I did get the chance to do ministry training, I was led into school teaching instead. At one stage, between teaching jobs, I mentioned to my wife that I was interested in going to talk to someone about going into the ministry, and told me straight that she did not marry me to become a minister's wife. That settled it for me. I knew that it was not the direction that I was supposed to go in the Lord.
However, when I joined my current church in 1996, I started in the choir and Sunday school; then as a deacon, then the treasurer, then an elder, and when the senior elder stood down, I was appointed to that post. Because we don't have a minister at this time, I am fulfilling a lot of that pastoral role, along with other members of the ministry committee. So, although I now have a Master of Divinity, and not an ordained minister, I am doing everything that a minister does, and my wife fully supports me.
So if the prophetic stuff you have received is correct, then because your wife is ambivalent to it, it is obviously not the right time for the door to open to you. You need to put all that on the shelf and leave it to the Lord to direct you in the way He wants you to do. The outcome will be that you will enter into a ministry and a role that your wife will fully support. But if you force the issue and ignore your wife's concerns, then you will be the responsible one for breaking up your marriage, and any ministry hopes will be dashed, and if any of the prophetic events and words you have received will fail because you were disobedient in the Lord's way of telling you to wait on Him so He can direct your steps in the right way.
