THE TEST OF MINISTRY SKILLS.
QUESTION: Have You Discovered That ‘Something’ In Your Hands?
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.(1Ki.4:2)
A major challenge in the life of many ministers’ wives is the challenge of ministry skills. Often you see someone manifesting some desirable skill which you would have liked but you are unable to manifest. On the other hand too, there are those who are evidently gifted but the gifts have become problem in the life and ministry of their husband because their disposition towards the gift is preventing them from submission. Let us first look at the concern that you don’t have the required gifts.
The background of the scripture above is that of a poor widow. The widow was not only poor, but her husband left her a considerable debt that would require her two sons to be enslaved until the debt was paid. She came to the prophet for help. She would have probably expected the prophet to bail her out by finding a way of paying the debt, since her husband was one of the sons of the prophets before his death. The prophet in response asked her an unexpected question: ‘What do you have in your house?’ The poor woman never thought she had anything valuable at home. In fact, she presented it to the prophet just for the sake of saying something: ‘…not anything in the house save a pot of oil’. By the time her encounter with the prophet finished in verse 7, she was no longer a debtor but also had something left to feed on, even with her children who would have become slaves.
A lot of times, we ignore what is available to us just because what others are having appears to be more attractive. There is that tendency in us to ignore that ‘something’ embedded in us that God can actually use for something great in our lives.
You remember the story of Moses? God was to task him with one of the most significant assignments in history but Moses gave several excuses because he looked down on himself and dreaded Pharaoh so much. After God overruled all his excuses, God asked him a question:
… What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod (Ex.4:2)
By the time God finished with Moses, he could not believe that the simple rod he had been holding could be used by God to achieve so much.
Dear pastor’s wife, the above are examples for you to know that no human being is empty.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Eph.2:10)
Something has been deposited into you that if you pay attention to it can make you to fulfill purpose as the help God has provided for your husband. Your talent may not necessarily be loud but it can make your impact to be felt by your world. The fact that you can’t preach, sing, speak good English does not mean you are useless. I was in the United Kingdom and a lady from Nigeria was to minister along with me, you can’t believe that the lady ministered in Yoruba! And there are many pastors’ wives that are not manifesting the grace of God in their lives just because they can’t speak English! Sometimes you may even be a graduate but feel you flow better in Yoruba, why don’t you minister and let there be someone to interpret for you?
The truth is that even if there are a lot of areas you feel handicapped, there are a thousand and one other areas that you can handle in the ministry.
The parable of the talents in Mat.25:14-30, presents some profound lessons you need to learn as a pastor’s wife:
Everyone Was Given Some Talents.
You must never believe that you don’t have talents or that God did not endow you with gifts. Your problem may probably be that you have not recognized your own as a result of comparing your life with that of another person. You may also be having the challenge of a husband that does not appreciate the gifts of his wife because he is comparing you with another pastor’s wife. If you have not discovered your ministry gifts, why don’t you pray about it and observe yourself to know which area of ministry interests you most or you are passionate about. For instance, if you just noticed that though you can’t preach or sing for now, but when you don’t see someone in the church you feel concerned, why don’t you start by bringing like-minded members together for visitation and counselling. If for instance you feel concerned about children being left alone while adult are being taught, why don’t you start organizing Sunday school for the children. These areas may appear insignificant to you, but they are vital arms in the church.
The Talents Given Were Not of The Same Measure.
God had your ability in mind when He was giving you those talents. Ability here may be both spiritual and relational. Instead of you envying those who were given more visible talents, why not thank God for the little you can do and make your little impact to be felt while you work on your ability to increase your capacity for more. There is a hymn which I love so much: COME LABOUR ON. The third stanza of the hymn goes thus:
Come, labour on.
Cast off all gloomy doubt and faithless fear!
No arm so weak but may do service here.
Though feeble agents, may we all fulfill
God’s righteous will.
There is no arm so weak that it can’t serve God with those little talents given. As feeble as your own may appear, if you don’t do your own part, it will affect the work. Do something with those talents you feel are not much!
Those That Traded With Their Talents Increased Their Own.
Another lesson you should learn in that parable is that those who, traded with their talents increased their own. If for instance your passion is to pray and you keep doing it, you will discover that, gradually, God will start adding to it. You May discover that as you gradually grow to become a notable Intercessor for the ministry, you may just discover later that the Holy Spirit will start revealing to you what to pray about. Later on, your husband and the entire church will recognize you as a pillar in the church in that area; you have increased your talent. If you keep on thinking of what God gave others but did not give you, you would have forgotten what God gave you but did not give others! Don’t disappoint God, make use of your little talents for God to grow it for you.
There Is Accountability At The Appointed Time
At the appointed time, you will be expected to render the account of how you made use of your talents. Never forget that the talent was given for the edification of the church, so when you are not making use of your talents, it is affecting something. All grace each Christian possesses are for the body to be complete:
…for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (Eph.4:12)
A time will come when you will render account. You may liken God to an articulate businessman who will never forget His investments!
There Are Implications For Not Trading With The Given Talents
There are implications for not using your talents. Apart from the fact that you will disappoint God in not really being a help to your husband in ministry, you will not be able to live a fulfilled life.
The second area we shall look into concerning ministry talents is the other side of lack. That is a situation in which you have been evidently endowed. Just like those who have the feeling that they lack ministry skills, it is also possible for those who have been heavily endowed with ministry skills to create problems rather than be a help to their husband. Often, when you possess ministry skills, you may look down on your husband as pride sets in. If you are in such category, you really need help. Sometimes, pride makes you feel that your husband is not allowing you to really magnify your ministry talents. Please know that any ministry gift that is threatening your home needs to be given a second thought; by the time your home breaks down, you may realize that you don’t really have a Christian ministry at all. Please take note of these two scriptures:
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven (Jn.3:27)
Remember the above scripture and never allow the gift that God has given you to destroy your home. The gift you were given were not because you worked for it. They are gifts from God for the edification of the church. Humble yourself, and never look down on your husband because of it. If you don’t humble yourself, it may be another way of telling God that you can’t handle it. That is why many start well in ministry but could not really go far.
There are situations in which some pastors feel threatened by the gift of their wives and some of them actually go to a great extent to hamper the manifestation of the gift. Even if your husband is one of such pastors, submission will achieve what you never expected it could achieve for you. Such insecure husbands may only slow you down, but then you should realize that even the period of waiting may be used by God to teach you virtues that will help you to endure in ministry.
As we round off on this question of ministry gifts, let me ask you again the question we started with:
Have You Discovered That Something In Your Hands?
Dr. Mike Oluniyi.
