Winning Your Spouse’s Heart While Doing Your Ministry

by Chuck Lawless Church Answers Consultant

I write this post with some trepidation, simply because I still have much to learn about being a good husband in ministry. Pam and I have been married for almost 35 years, and it seems I learn something new about marriage every day. Nevertheless, here are some of my thoughts on this topic (or, to put it more honestly, here are some things I’m still learning to do) as we approach Valentine’s Day:

At least weekly, ask God to show you how to keep winning your spouse’s heart. If you’re anything like me, you need help meeting this goal. In fact, I’m writing this post because we at Church Answers know church leaders often need some guidance here. Who better to ask for help than the God who requires us to love our spouses with a godly, sacrificial, undying love? Seeking Him is an expression of how much we want to pursue our spouse in a way that honors Him, even as we minister to others.

Meditate on God’s goodness in bringing your spouse to you. Two church secretaries (the term we used for administrative assistants back then) set Pam and me up. They were convinced we needed to meet, and they orchestrated events to make it happen. I suspect I was nervous about the whole thing back then, but I’m deeply grateful now for their interest. God was in their efforts—as I’m sure He was in your situation, too. Think about how He connected you with your spouse today, and say, “Thank You.”

Pray with your spouse. I strongly suggest praying together daily, even if it’s a short prayer. There’s just something both uniquely powerful and spiritually humbling when we pray with the one we love. In essence, we are saying to God, “We need You as a couple to do all that You’ve called us to do. Help us. Guide us. Give us wisdom. Keep us united.” If you…