You are [Sarah’s] daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. ~ I Peter 3:6
READING: I Peter 3:1-6
Church planting is so demanding you need to be called to it. But is it enough for just the husband to hear that call? Or must your wife hear her own call?
No, she doesn’t. A married couple is one flesh and God honors that unity. God won’t genuinely call one without implicitly calling the other. However, your wife’s attitude is one of the most crucial benchmarks and hurdles that will prove whether or not your call is from God. If your call is genuine, she’ll be able to wholeheartedly embrace your call as her own – maybe not immediately – but at least after a season of prayer and reflection. At some point, she may even hear God’s call herself.
She’s the most important team member you need to win over if you hope for long-term success.
Oftentimes, a man genuinely called to the pioneer work of church planting has married a shy, reserved wife. To her, the very thought of such a crazy life may seem quite daunting; never something she would have chosen on her own. Yet God is wise in uniting such men and women together in marriage. If you will allow your shy wife freedom to find her own ministry within the church planting endeavor, she will bring a much needed balance to your church plant. Quiet wives often spot things – overlooked people, overlooked details, and your own overlooked fatigue – and can bring blessed help behind the scenes. God will bless her willingness to step out in faith as Sarah’s daughter.
Dear Father, Please bless our marriage and help us to honor and support one another as loving co-laborers. Amen.
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