How to Thrive as a Pastor's WifeSample

Day Seven: Enduring in Ministry

Have you ever had a word spoken to you that changed the course of your life?

In high school I was in band, and at the end of each spring, we voted on who would be the next year’s section leaders. My band director, Mr. Johnson, came up to me and said, “You were voted flute section sergeant by your peers.”

I stared at him, dumbfounded. I was a freshman, our section could vote for anyone they wanted, and they’d chosen me? I hadn’t even considered the possibility of this happening. Then he said words to me that I’ll never forget: “Christine, you are a leader.”

He believed I could do it. Unwittingly, Mr. Johnson defined something for me that day that has continued to shape my life.

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul did something similar for Timothy that Mr. Johnson did for me. He defined for Timothy what was true about him. He pointed out to Timothy how God had gifted him because, in a sense, Timothy was also a shy freshman, unsure he was in the right role as a pastor and uncertain he had what it took to endure. We know from Paul’s words that Timothy had come to tears about it all and had expressed timidity, fear, and perhaps some anxiety about the calling God had placed on his life.

Paul exhorted Timothy to persevere, explaining to him what it would take to endure in his calling. As pastors’ wives, we aren’t the ones standing in the pulpit, proclaiming the gospel like Timothy. But we’re each ministers of the gospel, and we’re called by God to use our gifts to bring glory to Him and to benefit others. Paul’s words to Timothy, then, are applicable for us as we seek to be ministers of Christ in this world, whether it’s at home or among our neighbors and coworkers or as a servant in the church. Paul tells us what it will take for us to faithfully serve others—all the way to the end.

This grace Christ so lavishly pours out on us shows us He is worthy of any hardship we must endure in ministry. And when we consider Him, as we wonder, Is this life of service, sacrifice, and obedience worth it? we can affirm without hesitation, Yes, because Jesus is our Finish Line.

He is worth it all.

Do you find yourself in the words of 2 Timothy? What words of strength, at one time spoken to you, impacted how you understood yourself? Do these words shape you today?