MAYBE MARRIAGE IS "YOUR" MISSION FIELD!!

"How beautiful are the feet
of those who bring good news
of good things. (Rom. 10:5b)

It's been a rough week!  Nearly ten days into a 40 day fast,  my husband came down with a terrible cough keeping us both up at night. The changes in my diet and from kicking television cold turkey (my personal sacrifice) was reaping great benefits, but  still having its effects on me.  And on top of it all he decided to undertake a minor bathroom project, that's still going on and is turning out to be a real nightmare!

Between the lack of sleep, lack of privacy (plumber in and out all day) and the Enemy putting his two-cents in wherever he could, our house was so tense and thick with emotions that the smallest spark would have set us all off in a blaze of flames!

Even with time spent in prayer, bible reading, and meditation, I still found myself wondering if maybe somewhere I got it wrong!  Perhaps the single life was God's perfect plan for me after all! I mean that's got to be better than dealing with all the stress and attitude I've been getting all week!

Singles have it made (I said)!  They have no one to listen to but the Lord.  They don't have to think about what to say or not to say before talking, so as not to stir up Mr. Grumpy Pants! And they can spend all the time they want going, serving, and doing all those wonderful things for the Lord!

And then, out of the blue a question came to me...What if this marriage is your mission field and your life, the gospel? Well, to be truthful, if it is, I now know why John Mark left the mission field in Acts 13:13!  Honestly, that's where I was emotionally!  But then I began to give
this some real thought.  Marriage is, in many ways, a mission field for wives!  Think about it!

• A Missionary is specifically called of God for a distinct ministry.  The Grecian verb for missionary is apostello, the same word we get apostle meaning sent one!  Now I never considered myself an apostle in my own marriage but why not! 

           Proverbs 18:22 says, He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from 

        the Lord. Now consider James 1:17, Every good and perfect gift comes from above...,

          thus, I think it not too much of a stretch to believe that every good wife is one sent from 

        the Lord!  Sounds like an apostle to me! And what is more distinct (recognizably 

        different) in ministry than that of marriage?

• A Missionary's duties are dependent upon the Word of God and Prayer. And we shall give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4). Listen, if you can get through marriage without these two, I need to come talk to you! To be a Christian wife and be faithful to the standards that God has given us without the Word and Prayer is an impossibility.  Wives are to be submissive! (Ephes. 5:22)  Wives are to serve! (I Peter 3:5-6)  Wives are helpers! (Gen. 2:18)  Wives are to be self-controlled and pure! (Titus 2:3-5)  To be faithful sexual partners! (I Cor. 7:5)  And these are only a few!

• A Missionary's life is one of sacred sacrifice that often endures hostility. As wife to a non-Christian or even a spiritually immature husband you might find yourself dealing with jealousy,  even hostility toward the things of God simply because of ignorance (2 Corin. 2:14). In such cases, it does you no good to try to beat the bible into your husband but it's better to live the Gospel out every day, no matter what the cost! (I Peter 3:1). In this way you are very much like a missionary.  Going out winning the world for Christ while your unbelieving husband is going to hell, wins you no prizes with the Lord! 

As a woman of a certain age, who sometimes find marriage more challenging than I like, I'm beginning to find comfort in the spiritual insight that God provides (If I let Him!) Singles appreciate the freedoms you have to do for God everything your heart desires! Married ladies appreciate the years of service you have given not only to the Lord but to your family.  We have much to find satisfaction in for God's grace has given us dual blessings!!! In this way too, we are like some missionaries, serving bi-vocationally the Lord and our husbands! In any case remember the words of Paul: As a prisoner of God, I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. (Ephesians 4:1)

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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