H
HEisGoodalways
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This is not meant to be prophetic (hence my ordinary font and not the darker one)
One of the factors in the breakdown of my first marriage was that I put the "on fire" church I was going to before the needs of my wife. In hindsight, I had a misplaced loyalty. My marriage might have been saved if I had been more loyal to her, and had stood up more strongly against those in the church who were putting her down because she did not hold so strongly to their beliefs. I decided that I would never do that again.
I have been married to my second wife for 18 years now. I put Jesus Christ first as Lord of my life, and she accepts that. I put her and my daughter next, and then the church I go to after that. Catherine, my second wife, is reluctant to be involved in the spiritual side of my Presbyterian church, because her background involves another denomination. But she is happy to be involved in the social side of it. She has never stopped me from serving the Lord in any way that I wish. I think she must stand back and think that I am too zealous about things at times, but she is happy to be part of it, as long as no one makes any demands on her. If anyone in the church ever criticised her, I would stand up to them and tell them to pull their heads in and back off.
The reason I am telling you this, is that God must come first in your life. Then He has provided you with a wife who is your partner and companion in this life. You must honour and respect her, and always make her feel loved and cared for. This is your responsibility in the Lord. If you cannot meet the temporal and spiritual needs of your wife and family in your own home, then you will be useless for the Lord anywhere else. The testing ground for ministry is how effectively you are able to minister to your own family.
This is the challenge the Lord has given to me. I am praying for a healing ministry, and the Spirit has told me that when I am courageous enough to pray for my own family and see them healed by the grace and power of God, then I will see it happen elsewhere.
There is always another church down the road; but a good wife is a precious treasure - a gift from God. You can't readily dump her and pick up some floozie down the road. But you can always leave your church and find another one just as good down the road. Churches come two a penny - unless you have been going to one where you really feel it is a spiritual home and family to you. But you need to be aware that your wife needs to feel the same way about that church as well, to make your church life and family life work in harmony.
So you can guess what my advice is - look after your wife; it will bring great dividends to you in the Lord. He will bless you for it.
Thank you Oscarr, just what I needed to hear
God bless you richly!
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