2 SO A CHURCH LEADER MUST BE A MAN WHOSE LIFE IS ABOVE REPROACH. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.
11 IN THE SAME WAY, THEIR WIVES MUST BE RESPECTED AND MUST NOT SLANDER OTHERS. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.
12 A DEACON must be FAITHFUL TO HIS WIFE, And HE MUST MANAGE HIS CHILDREN AND HOUSEHOLD WELL."
1 Timothy 3:2,11,12 (NLT)
6 AN ELDER MUST LIVE A BLAMELESS LIFE. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
7 A CHURCH LEADER IS A MANAGER OF GOD'S HOUSEHOLD, SO HE MUST LIVE A BLAMELESS LIFE. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money."
Titus 1:6,7 (NLT)
• Now, the marriage or the home of a minister becomes a model for others, especially those who are under his leadership.
- What a minister does is what he or she transfers or extends to those who are following them.
- Both the minister and his wife had a responsibility to make their marriage work. Remember, marriage union is a responsibility.
- You both had the responsibility to train your children, bring them up in the way of the Lord, that their lives might not be a reproach to your ministry:
"[These elders should be] MEN who are of UNQUESTIONABLE INTEGRITY and are IRREPROACHABLE, THE HUSBAND OF [but] ONE WIFE, WHOSE CHILDREN ARE [well trained and are] BELIEVERS, NOT OPEN TO THE ACCUSATION OF BEING LOOSE IN MORALS AND CONDUCT OR UNRULY AND DISORDERLY" (Titus 1:6 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition). - Your home or marriage should be a standard or model which others who are following you could pattern their homes or marriages after.
- You are also expected to portray a good image of the church, and that of Jesus Christ, to the people of the world, through your marriage; and not only to those in the church, because those outside are also watching you (1 Timothy 3:7).
- Your marriage or home should be able to attract others to Christ Jesus.
• There are some tips we want to share here, that would be of help in shaping your home or marriage union, that It may be what God wanted it to be.
(i) Through your close relationship and fellowship with God, you can bring your spouse and children to God in prayer for Him to mould and shape them for Himself.
WHEN you do not have time to pray, or consider it not an important thing to do, the devil might take an advantage of that to have an inroad into your marriage or home.
(ii) The practice of the Word of God. If you are not a practical believer, you do not practice what you preach at home, It would influence your spouse and children negatively. They would see you as an hypocrite!
a. They would see that you live a dual life. Someone said If he wanted to know whether a person is a genuine believer, minister, or Not; he would not go to the church, but the house of the person.
b. A number of ministers, and the ministers' wives, are not what they portrayed to be to the people, the outsiders, in their homes—in their marriage Union. They are something else!
c. Some ministers or minister's wives behave like people who have not heard the gospel at all, in their homes. In fact, they are not the type of persons Whom anyone would like to emulate at all.
d. The reading and the studying and the practice of the Word of God, would have a great impact on those who live with you—your spouse and children—as a minister.
e. When you, as a minister, are willing to do whatever God commanded through the written Word, that would have a long way to go in the lives of your spouse and children.
(iii) Another point is, the practicing of God's order about marriage union that are spelt out in the Scriptures. You do things in your home or marriage according to the principles of the Word of God—the Bible.
• Note: in order to balance the message, there are situations where you do or practice the things mentioned in this piece and more, but your partner might still not allow the marriage to work.
- We have seen exceptional cases like that. There are situations where It may be the wife that would be cocky or recalcitrant. And in some situations, It might the husband that would be abusive.
- And at times, it might be the children, one or more of them would be wayward, and be a bad impression to the ministry and the lives of their father and mother.
- Whatever the case, endeavour to live the Word of God, that is, practice the Word and lead a prayerful life as a minister and set a standard for your home or family to follow. Whatever the plague or problem in a minister's marriage, such would be solved If he or she does not give up in doing or living the Word of God.
• If a Minister's marriage failed, It tended to have a negative effect or impact on the person of the minister and the ministry.
WHATEVER you are doing start from your home.
• You will not fail in marriage in Jesus' name.
- Your ministry will not fail as well, and you will fulfil the purpose of your calling, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
- Your married life, your home, would be a positive influence on the lives of others in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
- And If there is any Affliction in your body, I declare that you are healed now in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Peace!
STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).
- If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!