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It was a little over a week ago that we traveled to Michigan. We attended New Hope Church and our ministry was announced through prophecy and prayed over and we were anointed with oil. No, it wasn't our ministry as a couple -although that's wrapped into it. Our ministry is sharing the gospel through evangelical exhortation. Sharing the word of the Lord, the books and Paul's gifting of leading others in worshipping God with our voices. We know this will take us to places far and wide, following in the footprints of Paul's parents who share the gospel as evangelists who travel from church to church. As we were prayed over, it felt as if we were be christened like a ship setting sail to new lands. I spoke about Meek and shared what the Lord put on my heart. We hugged everyone and received blessing after blessing. How thankful we are for that precious time of starting us both out on this grand new adventure
Our ministry of sharing the gospel through the word, books and music is not our marriage. That is an additional ministry. Our marriage comes first. Our jobs are a ministry ...but they do not come first, illness, bills, our hobbies and fellowshipping with other believers does not come first...always our marriage comes first. It honors and glorifies the Lord.
From the beginning of our marriage, we invested time everyday with each other. Investing in your spouse and children is a moment by moment, hour by hour, daily choice..from having a meal together and putting away iPhones to actually talk without interruption for hours. This is the Mission of Family... maybe I'll start a new blog on this topic!
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Last night Joe Burton shared the word with us at church. I took away a reminder of something I have said to my clients and students for years -"what you do is your mission." Attending church is not a mission -it's a great, godly activity -and you might be called to serve at a church-building with God's people. However most people are 'blessed' (yes, truly blessed) to have a family and daily work. These are your first mission field. The church we serve is all around us, starting with our family.
Wherever you work, you will lift up and encourage fellow believers, you will plant seeds with the unbelievers, you will pray out the enemy where he prowls like a lion looking to devour.
At home you will encourage and support the gospel in your home through your words and actions. Loving your spouse and children is a complex and challenging mission field. It's filled with many choices and heart wrenching experiences. It's exciting and sometimes not exciting, it's an adventure with the Lord that shapes us to be more like Christ.
However, most of us never think of Family as a mission. However, it is the first mission. This has come to light with my marriage as Paul and I have had to assess how we invest in our marriage and still give to others.
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| Paul and I enjoying time at Frankenmuth, MI |
If we are not extremely careful, we can give away all we have -time, money, energy to everyone else -leaving our children and spouse without. It's not in God's plan to put family at the end of the 'to do' list. If you are blessed to be married, have children, care for aging parents, well then thank the Lord! He is the provider! He has given you one of the most wonderful of gifts. Whatever gift we ignore or refuse to invest in will not honor the Lord, and blessings can be removed. Even as you live amongst your family -it may become a burden rather than a blessing. Also, children grow up, spouses pass on and we can look back with regret. Whatever you take care of will prosper, but what you do not...well...
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| Selfie at Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland |
Pastors and church leaders -or overseers are examined by their ability to manage his or her own household (see scripture below). What does manage look like? It's the investment of all family members with one another.
For our family it means that we start the day together -time invested in sharing our morning thoughts, plans for the day and spend time just talking. There's nothing like praying blessings over your spouse before they leave for the day. Well, except being prayed over -that's pretty great!
We check in throughout the day. We share meals -while talking. We enjoy down time together every single day. We know what goals and challenges the other has and we support and encourage without reserve. We aren't in the same house doing separate activities, we fully engage with each other -phones off or put away and just spend time together.
Lastly, we go to bed together at the same time. There's only one night every so often that we don't. That's when he stays up tip 1am to write papers for school. Why is it important to go to bed together? It's a time to pray and let the Lord renew us together in rest and slumber. Restoration on a regular basis is a blessing from the Lord!
Do you see the photo above with Paul and I enjoying this moment at a CHRISTmas store? (btw, I loved seeing that they spelled Christmas this way). Well the rest of the story is the challenge we had in finding a joyful place to be with one another because when we arrived at the cool German inspired town, Paul received a tons of text messages. His phone blew up -both about work and confusion and chaos from the worship team. We walked around in a daze and then we decided chaos is not from God so let's stop and pray. We sat down in the cafe and prayed for the Lord to calm everyone and let us focus on our time together. We put our phones away and then returned to our first mission -our marriage. We found one ornament for our tree -marshmallow husband and wife in a cup of hot cocoa! Again celebrating our marriage.
Troubling times, arrows from the enemy and life in general will interrupt your first mission, but you just have to stand your ground and say -no way- and pray out the chaos and move into God's provision...over and over again....
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also -Matt 6:21
My treasure is in the Lord Jesus Christ. My heart is for him -the work he gives -the missions- are extra; they are the blessings.
1 Timothy 3:1-7English Standard Version (ESV)
Qualifications for Overseers
3 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer[a] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,[b] sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
