A few thoughts on marriage & ministry

I've been thinking about marriage quite a bit these days, especially in regard to ministry. Jonathan and I have always been very involved in ministry, whether helping with the youth group or leading worship. I feel like we've gotten off to a good start. Still, a lot of people start well but not everyone will finnish well. Marriages are falling apart left and right these days, even couples in ministry. Sometimes you can be so busy serving and doing good things that the relationship is ignored. Realizing this has really made me look inside my heart and evaluate my priorities. The order goes - my relationship with Christ, my husband, my family and then ministry and work. If my time, money and affections don't match up with that, then there is a problem. I may need to say no to serving, though it may be a good thing, in order be a better wife to my husband. When faced with the choice of spending more time on my work or my with husband, I should always choose my man. The same thing goes for him.

I want to finish well. I want to be more in love with my husband after 50 years of marriage than I am now. I never want to sacrifice my relationship with him on the alter of ministry, work or anything else. I don't want a ministry or child focused marriage, but a Jesus focused marriage. Thankfully, I'm married to a man who makes it easy for me to keep my priorities straight. I usually don't have any trouble wanting to spend time with him. We aren't perfect by any means and have ups and downs like everyone else. But gosh, I love him so much and our marriage is such a gift to me. I want to guard and protect our relationship with everything I've got. Plus, we'll be able to serve better as a strong, unified team.

I've realized that it's not necessarily big things that have the potential to wreck a marriage. As scripture says, its the "little foxes" that ruin the vineyard. They sneak in and start gnawing on the vine that has taken years to cultivate. I have to ask myself - has anything, even a good thing, become a little fox that weakens my marriage?

I know I'm in the wedding industry, but I don't want to focus so much on the wedding and forget about the marriage that started on the wedding day. Again, we aren't perfect by any means, but I hope this has encouraged you in some way. For me, I know my little foxes come disguised as work and sometimes ministry. What are they for you friends?