why you’re doing what you’re doing in ministry,
it’s really easy to let bitterness or resentment take over.
I’m not going to deny those thoughts and feelings.
That pain does happen, but those are the moments
I have to remind myself
why we’re doing this.” – Kay Warren
As the wife of a pastor, it can be difficult to remember why in the world we are doing this whole thing called ministry and church. With the constant strain on your husband and family, the ever-changing mandates for your church, and the unknown future of it all, doing ministry right now is hard.
Why are we doing this?
There are two truths I’ve had to remind myself of over the last year. Two privileges that I’m realizing we get to recognize first-hand.
The first one is this: the message of the gospel has never changed; the method always has. From the moment Jesus went back to heaven, the command to “go and preach the gospel” has taken on new methods with every generation. For reasons known only to Him, God appointed us to be here for this moment in history, as every method of our culture is changing, and to take a front row seat for it all. What a privilege.
The second truth is this: our hurting world desperately needs to hear this gospel message.
When we see people who are in pain, people who are struggling to hold onto hope right now, we absolutely lean in because we know Who is our Hope. I love Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 that say,
“Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very lives as well.”
“Because we loved you so much.” Those words were so personal to Paul. He saw individuals that he knew and cared about as he wrote them, comparing his great passion with how a mother cares for her child, full of intentionality and compassion.
Right now, take a second and think of those you know who desperately need this intentional message of hope. Who comes to mind?
I think of my friend who walked through cancer treatments this last year. I think of my daughter’s classmate who desperately needs a family to walk alongside her during this season of remote learning, or my friend who is struggling to be the best mom she can be.
Remembering and holding onto our why is critical in this season. As pastors’ wives, we hold a unique seat, one that holds both privilege and heartache. We must lean into our why, to recognize our place in history, and to go and preach the gospel, to a world that so desperately needs to hear.
Julie Thomas is a ministry wife, serving together with Joel at Harbor Church in Westminster, CO. She’s in the middle of raising four kids, all in high school and middle school, both biological and adopted. So her house is always full and her refrigerator is always empty. She loves the local church and believes there’s nothing that the love of Jesus can’t redeem. She’s also the founder and director of Madness of Motherhood, a ministry that is dealing out huge doses of encouragement to moms through its events and upcoming podcast. For more info, visit The Madness of Motherhood
