So what were you thinking by going into ministry?

I know you have a story.  We all do. You may not have grown up in church.  In fact, you may not have even had the benefit of living in a family that followed Jesus.  It may have been the farthest thing from your mind.

None of that matters.

It’s so easy to look back at your story of how you arrived in your place as a pastor’s wife and fall victim to the intimidation of the enemy.  Intimidation that says you are a mistake.

And that is just what he would like you to believe.

He would like nothing better than to have you live under a shroud of unworthiness and insecurity.  It keeps you trapped and, eventually, will find you resentful of the role that you’re in today.

But here’s the truth: it’s really our willingness to serve and love both Christ and His Bride that truly qualifies us to be in ministry.

Sounds a bit ridiculous, doesn’t it?

If I were doing the choosing, I would pick someone else besides me.  Wouldn’t the Body of Christ be better served by people who dreamed of a life in ministry; people who are articulate, stage-perfect, or have multiple theology degrees?

When God asks us to serve, He isn’t checking our resume-at least not a resume that follows the qualifications of the world.  Those things don’t impress Him much anyway.  He knows that what you will need to serve the church on this journey is found only in Him.

Obviously, you will need to grow your skills, cultivate an intimate relationship with Christ, and develop good disciplines in your life to produce fruit.  Those are a given.

However, the greatest fruit in ministry comes from the empowerment of His Spirit.  We cannot transform a heart.  We can move people emotionally with our words or music, but real and lasting transformation is something only He can do.

That seems to put all of us on an even playing field.

 While there are a few people who may have dreamed about being in ministry, more of us seem to find ministry thrust upon us.  Maybe that’s how it happened to you.  Perhaps you weren’t even asked.  I know women just like you who feel like the title of pastor’s wife was an unfair assignment they didn’t want.

As a result, the title brings a great deal of intimidation and feels like a heavy burden.

Can I encourage you today?

It was no mistake.

It is no mistake.

While our thoughts early on in life may have never been ministry-focused, God has been thinking about you since before you were born.  He has brought you to this place of ministry to make you into a beautiful picture of His Son, and to help you make others beautiful as well.

Yes, there will be times of difficulty.  There will be seasons of great growth and joy.  There will be disappointments and unfortunately, even pain.

But when you rest in that foundation of truth that God is not surprised by your new (or old) place of ministry and has been preparing you for this moment all your life, you can be at peace.

Peace to no longer wrestle against His call.

Peace to realize you are exactly where He thought you would be.

And it really is a privilege to serve Christ as a pastor’s wife. Regardless of the accolades you do or don’t receive from people, serving Christ is a privilege.  It is an honor to represent Him to others and love His Bride.

And that’s what He is looking for: servant leaders.

So you aren’t in ministry because you are qualified.  You are in this place because He saw you, and in His grace, He saved you from the death penalty of your sin.  He wanted to be reconciled to you so desperately that He chose to die for you.

He chose to die so that you could live.

That’s why I’m here, too.

And now He wants to use the testimony of that grace in all of us to bring freedom to others.  He desires that the truth of His Word will go down deeply and transform us by His power and His Spirit.

So today, rest in the truth that God wants you on His team so He can refine and sharpen you.  And we want you on the team to help us lead the body of Christ more effectively. If this wasn’t your first choice in life, allow God the freedom to grow you so you can finally learn to love being on the ministry team.

Together we can make a difference.

 

Excerpted from Help! I’m Married to the Pastor (Learning to Love Your Life of Ministry) by Kimberly Waldie. Copyright©2015 by Kimberly Waldie. Used by permission of Daniel Communications. All rights reserved.

 Purchase your copy here: Help! I’m Married to the Pastor