THE TEST OF FAITHFULNESS DURING TOUGH TIMES.
QUESTION: Are You Faithful In And Out?
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
(Ruth1:16-17)
Faithfulness means constantly remaining loyal to a person or a cause and demonstrating such loyalty consistently over favourable and unfavourable seasons. The pastor’s wife must be a faithful person to several causes in other to be a help in the life of the husband. She must remain faithful to God, her marital vows and to the vision of her husband.
Faithfulness To God.
Your faithfulness to God will be demonstrated through your hatred for doing anything outside his will and refusing to bow to ungodly pressure under difficult circumstances. It is easy to praise God and serve Him when the going is good, but the real test of faithfulness comes when things are tough. In the book of Habakkuk 3:17-18, it is written as follows;
Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
neither shall fruit be in the vines;
the labour of the olive shall fail,
and the fields shall yield no meat;
the flock shall be cut off from the fold,
and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
As a pastor’s wife, you are supposed to be a model of faithfulness even when the fig tree refuses to blossom. In other words, when you are not experiencing fruitfulness from where you are supposed to reap fruits; when the labour of the olive fail, the fields are empty, and there are no herds in the stalls. That means, when every source of hope appears to be dim, still I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. There are times when it may appear as if it is completely finished. Will you still be able to worship God and affirm that He is your Father?
Job also said in Job 13:15
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:
There are some things that will happen at times that will keep you wondering whether God is still there or has travelled or something. Job said here that even though God slays him. In other words, just in case he is being slaughtered and he discovers that God is the one slaughtering him, he would still trust him. Sincerely, the story of his life demonstrated such resolve. Is it the death of a dearly beloved one, the collapse of a business or disappointment from someone least expected? Whatever it is, will you still be able to trust God?
One day, I arrived at the church for midweek Bible study and my phone rang. I realized that it was one of my pastors who was supposed to lead the class. Naturally, I felt that he was going to take an excuse but I just noticed that the person talking to me on phone was not the pastor. The person asked me, ‘Do you know the owner of this phone?’ I answered in the affirmative and he just announced to me carelessly that he was involved in an accident and was dead! If you are talking about the most prayerful among my ministers, as well as the most gentle, and the one that would never frown even when offended, that’s the one I am talking about. It was the most painful news of death I had ever received. There are sometimes moments like this in life and ministry. But will you now say that God is no longer God because of what happened? Despite any adverse situation which no one prays for, God will remain God for someone that is faithful to God. No adverse word from your mouth that doubts God.
When as a pastor’s wife, your faithfulness to God is unshakable in every circumstance of life, you will be in position to stand by your husband in moments of need.
Faithfulness To Your Marital Vows.
Put yourself in the situation of a pastor’s wife that met her husband sleeping with the church secretary in the church office. The husband, instead of being remorseful, asked her why she did not tell him before coming to see him in the church office. The wife felt so humiliated and told the husband that she would retaliate. She eventually did, and that was what destroyed the eleven-year old marriage. What happened was so devastating to the woman. More so, the husband was not remorseful. However, should anything be strong enough to make you break your marital vows? You made that vow before God and his church that your body would be for your husband alone until death do you part. Your husband is a man of God. So, he is not likely to cheat on you. But, just in case he does, you must remain faithful. Apart from a cheating husband, what is it that can make you break your vows. If anything ever makes you break your marital vows, then it means you can’t be relied upon by God for you to achieve the purpose of being a help for your husband. God hates covenant breakers. The Bible puts such people in the category of those who are worthy of death. (Rom.1:29-32)
Faithfulness To The Vision.
A lot of times in ministry, there are challenges that are initiated by the devil. Many stakeholders, including the pastor or the wife, may open doors for him unknowingly. The following scripture from the book of Luke chapter 22 verse 31 and 32 reveals the game plan of the devil for any pastor and his ministry:
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
I think the above scripture is talking to you, pastor’s wife. Satan desires to have your husband and ministry through you. However, Jesus has prayed for you that your faith will not fail. Don’t forget, the only prayer is that your faith fails not. Once your faith fails in the vision that God has given your husband, then, it will be easy for the devil to sieve him and the ministry as wheat. I try to imagine sifting as wheat to be comparable to sieving yam flour. When you are sieving yam flour into a bowl, some will go into the bowl from the sieve. However, a good portion will end up on the floor and everywhere including your face. The devil really wants to do the same thing with your husband and ministry if you give him the room, by allowing your faith to fail in the vision.
There are several reasons why your faith may fail in the vision. In fact, it may even be your husband that will unknowingly make you to lose faith in the vision. But don’t forget, Jesus has prayed for you that your faith will not fail. May your faith not fail in your husband’s vision in Jesus’ name.
Are You Faithful In And Out?.
Dr. Mike Oluniyi.
