Why Pastors Should Value Sermon Feedback from their Wife

I don’t think anyone especially enjoys criticism. At least not initially. Pastors are no different. After all, we get our fair share, we don’t want criticism from our wives too.

Or do we?

The pastor’s wife is his closest friend. She knows his weaknesses and his strengths. Therefore, she is uniquely qualified to be the pastor’s greatest proponent as well as his best critic.

Let me get real practical and transparent. Awhile back I preached a sermon that I knew was not my best. I felt a bit disjointed and unclear. It was a homiletical dud. I knew it and so did my wife. She quietly bid her time and then I asked the dreaded question. “How do you think things went today? Was I clear?” She looked back and said, “I had a hard time tracking.” From there she gave me her thoughtful review.

At that point I didn’t want to hear it. I would have rather talked about crafts, jewelry, cloth diapers or Martha Stewart. Anything would have been better than hearing my wife land body-blow after body-blow on my freshly preached sermon.

Why was I so resistent? Because I value her opinion and I want to deliver quality sermons.

But what I missed was that this was precisely the reason why I should be listening to her in the first place! The heart is tricky and pride runs deep.

In light of this, I want to give a few reasons why pastors, particularly preaching pastors, should listen to their wife’s sermon feedback.

1. She Loves You: We forget this sometimes, especially when we are feeling so extra sensitive. The bottom line here preachers, your wife probably has your best interests in mind. She is not out to filet you, she wants you to get better. Because she loves you and wants the best for you, you owe it to her to listen to what she says. Keep Reading>>>