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We are continuing our series on “Here is some advice…” It is all about the different advice I have received as we continue deputation. Today’s post will cover advice that I am given regularly. It is actually “Love your wife.” but to generalize I entitled this post, “Love your spouse” because I think it goes both ways.

“Without your spouse, you do not have a ministry.” Can God use a man who is single? Yes. Sure He can! But God’s design is that husband and wife work together in ministry. Aquila and Priscilla are a great example of this, but that is another post (one that we have touched on I might add, click here). If I lose my wife, I lose my ministry. Here are a few tidbits I’ve been given to make sure I “love my spouse…”

Spend time with your spouse. The ministry takes time. I remember when I first started working at my home church my Pastor told me, “The ministry is not a job that you can punch in and out on a time clock. It is always going.” In the process of ministry it is easy for everything else to take a “back seat”, including your family. Although there are times this is unavoidable, time should be made for your spouse.
Do ministry together. Our marriage is by no means perfect, but there is something we have always done. We have always done ministry together. I think it is because we never knew any different. We worked together in ministry before we were married. We have worked together in ministry throughout our marriage. When we had babies, they were just dragged along with us. We have worked together, and if may say so, any good thing that has happened in what I’ve done, Leslie was deeply involved in it. She truthfully makes me better. I can attest to this piece of advice, ministry should be done together.
Do things for your spouse. Pastors have told me the importance of taking care of my wife, of going beyond what is expected and doing special things for her. Her birthday and Christmas should not be the only times I give her gifts. Some have advised that she is the queen of our house and should be treated as such.
Talk to your spouse. Men have told me to tell my wife I love her and tell her often. I am encouraged to tell her how beautiful she is (and she is very beautiful!). She may know that I love her, but it doesn’t hurt for her to be verbally reminded of it regularly. Some have claimed that a lack of communication is one of the biggest problems in marriage. It is important to talk with your spouse.

There is so much more to this subject that I have been encouraged to put to practice. I remind you that this isn’t something I have come up with (although I fully agree with it), but advise I have been given by men of God as we have travelled on deputation. Here is some advice, love your spouse!

I have attached a photo that I took of Leslie last night. I must say I am a very blessed man. The truth is she is obviously gorgeous, but she is even more beautiful on the inside…

Leslie

As believers, our purpose is to bring the most glory we can to God, to strive to do all we can for Jesus, to live our lives for Jesus, to give Jesus 100%. Do you agree? The problem I think we have is that we allow things in our lives to become distractions. What is a distraction that would get in the way of your pursuit of living for Jesus? EVERYTHING IS A DISTRACTION! We allow all kinds of things in our lives that we then allow to distract us from our purpose. Their are bad things that are distractions. That is what we like to emphasize. I know that people like to point at the TV, music, movies, etc as bad things that become distractions. But lately, I have been thinking about other things that are distractions. Good things, actually they are great things. I want to address one of them in this post.

In the Bible, Paul speaks of a spouse as a distraction. 1st Corinthians 7:32-33 says, “But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.” Do you realize what he is saying? He is saying that you cannot give your full attention to the Lord because you must give some attention to pleasing your wife (spouse). Your spouse can be a distraction. Actually, your spouse is naturally a distraction, as are you to her.

But, there is a great example of a married couple, that were not distractions to each other from the Lord, but rather a team that brought more glory to God than they might have alone. Aquila is found 6 different times in the Bible, and is not found without being joined with his wife, Priscilla. They were a team that worked together to glorify God, and bringing others along. Because their names are ALWAYS mentioned together, it shows that it wasn’t just Aquila as the “gospel laborer” and Priscilla being the supporting wife at home. No, she was very much involved in the ministry with Aquila. They were not just husband and wife, but co-laborers in the furtherance of the Gospel! My wife and I are natural distractions, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We must strive to be co-laborers, always working and bringing each other as well as others closer to Jesus.

Are you married? If you are, are you a distraction to your spouse? As married couples, we must strive to be like Aquila and Priscilla, co-laborers in the Gospel!

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