A Vital Investment

Steve: If your marriage isn’t a positive thing that refreshes and refuels you both you will struggle in Christian ministry. Even if you have a strong marriage there will be times when life will be hard, but a weak marriage will compound the issues many times over. As further safeguards to and investment in this most important of relationships I recommend the following:

- Invest time in your marriage. Don’t let ministry demands and opportunities take time away from your wife and family. Ministry will take all the available time you have - and more, so putting time with your spouse and family into the diary well ahead before any other demands seek precedence - and protecting that time – is the only way to ensure that it happens.

- Remember the Biblical principle of example. Like it or not, we provide a role model of marriage for those we serve. People will always be looking at you – it’s the goldfish bowl of ministry! We cannot dodge the biblical exhortation as leaders to be an example to others. It may be challenging but it is true – the strength of your marriage will have a direct impact on the strength of the marriages in your church.

- Teach regularly on the subject of marriage. This will show to those in our churches that our marriages are to be valued, worked at, invested in – and not taken for granted. Teaching in this area will prepare those still to launch into marriage and encourage and redirect the stumbling. Such teaching will help our people to refocus their attention on their own relationship and at the same time you are helping to lay the foundation for the marriages of the next generation.