MARRIAGE & MINISTRY
Before sin even entered the world, God created marriage between a man and a woman. His perfect plan was to form a marriage based on love and respect. The marriage relationship shows God’s love relationship with us (Ephesians 5:25-33). Satan hates Christian marriages and does all he can to attack and destroy it. If he can destroy a marriage then it affects the children, the church and the whole nation. He especially attacks pastors and church leaders’ marriages to weaken their ministries and defeat their children.
We need to understand God’s plan for marriage so we can live out the Biblical picture of Christ’s unconditional, loving relationship to His church through the example of our marriage relationship. A pastor/leader can best minister if the marriage and family are following Biblical principles (1 Timothy 3:4-5; 1 Peter 3:7).
A husband is to relate to his wife as Jesus relates to His people. He is to show sacrificial love by His actions, putting His wife and her needs before his own. That is what Jesus did when He left heaven to come to earth and go to the cross to pay for our sins. His love for us is unconditional, no matter what we do or don’t do. He focuses on giving, not getting, and as husbands we do the same. Because Jesus showed unconditional, sacrificial love for us, we respond in trust and submission to Him.
A wife is to respond to her husband’s sacrificial, unconditional love by trusting and submitting to him. We don’t take advantage of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. A wife should never take advantage of her husband’s love and forgiveness, either. She gives herself 100%, as Christians are to give themselves to Christ. She exemplifies loyalty and faithfulness to her husband, as she to Jesus. Responding this way, Jesus gives meaning, purpose, direction, guidance, peace and joy to our lives. The same is true of a godly wife who trusts her godly husband.
Our marriages and families must be a picture of Jesus’ love and care for us. We can only have that kind of marriage as we depend on God’s mercy and grace to work in us. Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” In Ecclesiastes 4:12 God states, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” We need God and each other to have a peaceful, holy, fulfilling, harmonious marriage and family.
Proverbs 18:22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
How is your relationship with your spouse and children? Does it reflect Jesus to the world around you?
If you don’t have a mate or children, think of those who do and pray for them.
PRAY: “Dear Jesus, I thank you for creating marriage, even before sin entered the world. Your plan of one man and one woman loving and serving each other is a beautiful picture of Your love for us and our trust in You. Please help us be the husbands and wives, the fathers and mothers You want us to be. Fill us with Your love for each other. Help us to show unconditional love and sacrificial service as You do to us. Teach us to forgive as You forgive us. Help us to serve by putting others before ourselves, as we follow Your example. We ask you to use our families so You are glorified in them. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen”
(For a free copy of this book go to Https://www.christiantrainingonline.org/our-ministries/india/ and click on “Download Books.” To listen to an audio recording, watch a video recording or read the manuscript of the session click on “Conference Sessions.”)
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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