MEMORISE: 1 Peter 3:8

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:”

READ: Esther 4:13-16 (KJV)

¹³ Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.

¹⁴ For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

¹⁵ Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,

¹⁶ Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

MESSAGE

Today is my wife’s birthday and I just want to share some things that women in ministry can learn from her walk with God. One of the most obvious qualities my wife possesses, which has helped her succeed in ministry even as it has greatly impacted my walk with God is her compassionate heart. If you know anything about love, you know that love gives. Not only does she give substance, she also gives time and affection. She is always willing to spend and be spent for the sake of the sheep (2 Corinthians 12:15). Many people think that she gives because we have been blessed by God now; what they don’t know is that she has been giving on this same scale even when things were tough for us. There was one day I almost stopped her when she gave our last tuber of yam to someone in need. If you want to succeed in ministry, you must be willing to spend and be spent. Until God has seen your compassion for the few sheep He has given to you, He will not give you more.

For women who are in ministry because their husband is there also, there is a lot to learn too. When the Bible says in Proverbs 31:11 that the heart of the virtuous woman’s husband safely trusts in her, you need to ask yourself, “Can my husband safely trust me with certain parts of his ministry and not be bothered at all?” If you are to be his help meet – suited to his needs, yet he has to handle everything, then what exactly are you helping him with?

There are departments in The Redeemed Christian Church of God that I don’t even bother myself about at all and I have never heard a bad report from them in all the years that my wife has been handling them. She handles the children’s ministry, the hospitality unit, feeding of the guests and even feeding of the millions of people who come for our programmes. My heart safely trusts in her and I have never regretted it. Your wife has a big role to play in how far you will go in ministry. I know I certainly wouldn’t have enjoyed this level of success without my wife by my side. She is a special blessing from God to me. She supports me spiritually too. She prays for me constantly and many times joins me in fasting for 40 days and nights. God bless you, my darling wife. Together, we will finish well, in Jesus’ name.

KEY POINT:
Please pray for all the women in ministry, that they will do the work of God with compassion for the sheep. Pray for your Pastor’s wife, that she will be a great blessing to his ministry, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalms 113-115

HYMNAL:
Hymn 8 – I’m pressing on the upward way

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