Embracing the Biblical Tension Between Family and Church Ministry

What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matt. 19:6b).

 

When Jesus spoke those words, he was referring to marriage. But in the wisdom of God, these words also apply to the relationship between our families and our ministries.

As my friend Mike Bullmore says, God has a design for your family and ministry so that faithfulness in the family enhances faithfulness in the church, and faithfulness in the church enhances faithfulness in the family.

These callings can seem to be in tension with one another, but it is a dynamic tension in which we can experience God's goodness. God never separates the assignments he gives us from his sanctifying process in us. He is at work within your family ministry to sanctify you for your church ministry---and he is at work within your church ministry to sanctify your family.

Eldership Is a Familial Role

We read in 1 Timothy 3 that an elder's relationship to his family is a prime arena for testing his ministry qualifications. An elder is called to reflect Christ's love for his Bride in fidelity to his wife. He is to be "the husband of one wife," or a one-woman man (1 Tim. 3:2). Furthermore, "He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?" (1 Tim. 3:5).

In short, the home is a training ground for ministry in the church. In our ministries within our families, we gain the experience necessary for shepherding God's family. A man must have his own house in order if he is to faithfully manage God's household.

The word "manage" should not be read in a sterile, business-like sense. Rather, it conveys the idea of caring, concerned nurture---the type of care and concern a father has for his children and a husband has for his wife.   Continue at David Sunday