Serving in ministry is a good thing. We dedicate our lives, our time and our resources to reaching out to people with the Gospel of Christ, and giving our efforts to serving others with the love that God supplies. It surely is a rewarding thing to do.
For married Christians, however, serving in ministry can be a blessing when done right and a problem when done wrong.
In this article, we'll take a quick look at some reasons why ministry can be dangerous to any Christian's marriage.
Some of us may not want to believe that, but because ministers are humans we should realize that like other church members who are serving in ministry, they will also have issues and problems that they need to face.
And because they are married, they will need to face these issues when they arise, and prevent such issues and problems from happening.
And so without further ado, here are some reasons why married Christians should be careful about Christian ministry.
1) It might compete with the marriage relationship
Many ministers face problems with their marriages because their church ministry competes with their marriages.
Some ministers, for example, tend to give more focus on their ministry, forgetting that they have a responsibility to their spouses. God still requires ministers to tend to their spouses, even if they think they have a "great calling" or a "divine destiny."
Truth is, every married Christian should realize that their marriage is their first ministry -- God will require it of us.
We must not allow our marriages to be weighed down by our personal desires for ministry.
2) Ministry opens spouses to possible social and relational dangers
Next, since ministry requires men and women of God to be accessible to people, husbands and wives in ministry need to put up safety barriers to protect their marriage. They need to be aware of the relational dangers that it brings.
While we should pray for our safety and the protection of our marriages, we should not be naïve and think that since we're in ministry, nothing wrong can happen.
Set boundaries and stick to them. Be open and transparent with your spouse, even if the people you deal with are "in the church." Not all who are in church are Christ-like, and we should be mindful of that.
3) The marriage relationship is a higher priority, period.
Ministry takes time and effort. Marriage also takes time and effort. Choosing which to prioritize, however, shouldn't be a difficult thing for us to do: marriage should come before any church ministry.
Many Christians make the wrong choice between the two. We've seen and heard of stories of ministers who, despite having success in ministry, have failing or failed marriages.
Such ministers are closer to their congregants than their spouses. It's a sad reality, really.
The late great evangelist Billy Graham, while having a great marriage with his wife Ruth, said he regretted having spent more time in ministry and less with his family. While he was not a bad father, he personally said that if he had the chance, he would spend more time with his family.
We ought to learn from him.
