Marriage: A Ministry

Many, many times I listen to ministers begin each and every sermon with,"I would like to thank this or that...blah-blah... and I count this being here as an honor and a privilege to minster to you this morning..." And indeed, as I thought about it, it is an honor to be chosen to preach to God's people. God in as much trusts that speaker to say what He has given the speaker to say. This person has studied, prayed and is well equip to say and pray the way God has instructed him/her to do. The speaker has taken his position seriously and is not just saying what he thinks sounds good just to increase CD sales and to get a hefty love offering in the end. He/she is not just pulling at the heart strings of emotion for the majority of the congregation to run around the church and be all out of breath to trick them in believing that the church service was really good only to try to make account of the words spoken and it was all fluff and nothing to sustain them for the week. Yes, the person takes the matter of being a spiritual teacher extremely serious because he/she knows that judgement for this person is quite different and nothing to make light of.

So then, who among you would take lightly the position of spouse? Is it not also a privilege that God has given to you the honor of being that close to one of His sons or daughters? You have good intentions in the matters of the heart and consider the other first before yourself. You take the time to listen and are patient as you react in love with all that you say and do. Would you count it as an honor and a privilege that this person was specifically chosen for you to bless? Isn't it just as great? Won't God be just as pleased in seeing that you have made this one person as happy as a minister could do with a congregation?

So before you ask for the moon, sky, and stars, look to see how you have managed your own house. Is it in order? Have you practiced the basic building blocks of Christianity so that it is like brushing your teeth and having your morning coffee? Can you allow someone else to have the last word? Can you smile in the face of adversity and walk away without retaliation? Can you give up a prized material possession if it means getting a fellow saint out of debt? Do you hear God and do specifically what He asks of you or do you at least come close? Bottom line: Can He trust you?

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