Balancing church and family responsibilities is a reason Paul cautioned wannabe pastors in Corinth about getting married. Depending on the source you’re reading, there are varying views about divorce rates among couples who profess themselves to be Christ-followers. The rates are either growing at the same rate as non-believers, greater than that rate, declining from that rate, or were never as high. This essay is one in a series of devotionals on coping with stress in ministry, and is based on the book, "Who Prays for the Pastor?" written by Bro. Fredrick Ezeji-Okoye. The accompanying discussion guide was written by Michael Edgar Myers, who also narrated the audiobook and 1-minute devotional excerpts. If you have any difficulties accessing the material, please e-mail [email protected]. Thank you.
Assorted denominations have particular points of view about whether couples should divorce and what roles people who do divorce should have in Christian ministry, particularly leadership positions. Whatever the numbers, whatever your opinion, these facts remain:
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
“Haven’t you read,” He replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Yes, we switched from the New International Version to the King James for the last verse for readers who may have heard the words at weddings yet didn’t realize these are the words of Christ, not just the preacher.)
The question 20 centuries later, then, is, "What causes hearts of married couples to become hardened today?" Moreover:
"How do Christian couples become hardened? "
"What happens if one of those hardened Christian spouses is a pastor?"
Keep these questions in mind when listening to Family Priorities, today’s 1-minute audio installment from “Who Prays for the Pastor?”
1-Minute Audio DevotionalWhen a pastor loses perspective on ministry responsibilities the family can be threatened.
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The KIT 'n' Kaboodle BlogThe essays here are culled from our travels, conversations, worship experiences and discoveries. Many are reprints from our newsletter, The KIT 'n' Kaboodle, or Facebook notes over time. They're written by our ensemble, Garlan Garner, Michael Edgar Myers or Vikki J. Myers -- solo, or collectively. Archives
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