Family & Ministry

Dawn, noon & moon

Nehemiah 4:21”…So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.”

This message is not for all but only for people serving in the Christian ministry as pastors, preachers, leaders, care cell leaders, worship leaders, Evangelists, missionaries and in any capacity that demands sacrifice and your time. Stay blessed!

FAMILY & MINISTRY: This message on ‘hard work, sacrifice and sufferings’ may be hackneyed for this smartphone-era of pomp and opulence Christian ministry, nevertheless, hear me today. Builders cannot take rest, there would come a time when they have to work from dawn, through noon and to the time the moon appears, therefore I titled the message ‘dawn, noon and moon.’ Nehemiah was building the walls of Jerusalem in the midst of severe opposition, threats, intimidation, pressure and bullying, hence they could not afford to relax or give gaps in their work. Nehemiah recruited people to be with him day and night!

My dear friends, are we also not living in an environment much the same as we see above, facing threats from many quarters as we build our ministry: be it publishing a book, building a church….whatever? There are seasons that we have to go the extra mile and work for God, we may have to stay away from family and friends for a while that doesn’t mean neglect or ignore the family but the situation necessitates that our presence is needed at the work-spot. This is quite sensitive because I don’t mean here that you got to neglect family and personal life for the sake of Kingdom work, but there are seasons in ministry that demands more of your time, therefore, we go to sensibly handle such periods without endangering your family. When you invest MUCH prayer as you work then God would take care of everything, the disaster happens when you neglect prayer and reading the Word during busy period in ministry. Anybody listening? Did you get me?

MOSES & HIS FAMILY:

Exodus 18:5 “Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God.

6 He sent word to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her."

Friend, I am trying to sober down to write more on this subject because just reading the above scripture again about Moses and his family, brought many memories to my mind and I feel tremendously emotional. Unabashed I write this! Moses had to send the family away for a particular period of time because that was ‘hot and sizzling’ period in his life; however, after a short separation they were back together again. Amen. God was not going to overlook this sacrifice done by Moses for the sake of Kingdom work. Read: Mathew 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. “ Prophetic word for someone who is going through hectic work for the sake of building the ministry of God.

Having received a call from God while working for a multinational bank, I resigned my job(after I received confirmation from the Lord) to work for the Lord as full time servant. For ten years I served the Lord along with my husband, after which we received a call to move to another city as missionaries. We relocated our ministry to the new city where the language and culture were entirely different; however, we moved along with our children: my daughter had just completed her inter-college and my son had completed grade 4. Very eerie period. The initial few years were time of survey, observation and financial stability, then God started moving speedily. We started our Church, Free school for the poor called Abide School and then the Children Home for the poor called Abide Angel Home. I never imagined the amount of tension, trepidation, pressure, angst and stress these projects would bring on me and my family. I was dealing with areas that had nothing to do with my earlier experience in posh, elite bank environment, my education or my vast experience in corporate sectors. I was cooking in wood fire stoves, teaching children and lot more connected to running of a school. In the absence of workers, we have to pitch in to do the work for the smooth functioning of the school. For few years, I had to stay with the children in the Angel Home and thereby my family suffered a lot, I got to a point where I could not move any longer; Children ministry, school and Orphanage can zap your energy beyond your imagination; however, the work had to continue. God would reward your hard work!