Girl Time

One thing that I don't get much of but I truly enjoy having is girl time. It's nice to hang out with other women of God and just laugh and have a great time. Too often our lives get to busy to build those relationships and we miss out. The Bible tells us over and over again the great benefits of having a close Godly friend--I personally think that other than your spouse your best friend should be of the same gender. It just makes things WAY less complicated! So I wanted to give a little shout out to Rebeccah and Shelby who hung out with me at the mall yesterday before I move on to talk about the benefits of having a close friend. You made my day! Thanks for being patient with me while I counted out the Jelly Bellys so that I didn't go over my calories. You're both the best!


The benefits of having a girl time with a close friend:
Number One: A Friend Sticks Closer than a Brother
"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24
If you have an awesome girlfriend, hold on to her. Do what you can to grow and nourish that friendship. You can't go around and be BFFs with everyone. That's a little of what the first part of the verse is talking about. When you have "many companions" you are letting all your acquaintances have just as much say and influence in your life as your best friend who you know and trust. This can be bad--especially if not all your friends are Christians. I also think "the friend who sticks closer than a brother" has to be a Christian who is doing their best to live their life for God otherwise they don't understand true commitment or loyalty or forgiveness that friendship really needs.


Number Two: You Can Trust a True Friends Words Even if They Hurt
"Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." Proverbs 27:6
A true friend will tell you what you need to hear even if you don't want to hear it. Your Christian friends should be challenging you to go even further in your walk with Christ. They should hold you to a high standard. Yes, sometimes it might hurt your feelings if they call you out on your non-Christian behavior or dress but they are doing it because they want to see your relationship with Christ grow. A true friend's motives can be trusted. They shouldn't just tell you what you want to hear even if they know it's wrong.


Number Three: A Friend Loves at ALL Times
"A friend loves at all times..." Proverbs 17:17a
A true friend loves you for who you are. They love you when you are doing the right thing. They love you when they are doing the wrong thing (even though they shouldn't agree and should point you back in the right direction. See #2). They aren't fickle. They don't try to pit you against your other friends. They love you as is and as unconditionally as possible. And if you are their true friend you do the same for them.


Okay, so I know there are so many other benefits to having awesome friends. I challenge you to find some and post them in the comments section.


I also want to say, congratulations to Hermione Williams on winning our first ever prize giveaway! Hermione, please email me your mailing address so I can get your prize pack out to you right away! Keep an eye out for more chances to win in the future. Thank you for everyone who participated and thank you for reading Life as a Minister's Wife!

Why It's Hard to be Popular in Ministry

One of the struggles that is faced by many husbands and wives in ministry is the question, “Do people like me?” or it might be “Are people going to hate me if I tell them the truth?”. Why is it that it’s so hard to be popular when you are in ministry. It’s not that I miss being popular because I was never one of the popular crowd, but I don’t want to feel like people are constantly mad. I want to at least feel like people like me most of the time.


It’s hard to keep your hopes in this arena when it’s your job and your ministry to tell people what the Bible says about how we should live, the lifestyle and friendship choices we should be making, and how we should be looking to God’s will for our lives before all else. People just don’t want to hear it. They come to church to get their ears tickled and to come away from the experience with a warm fuzzy feeling about God. What were you thinking that you would actually tell them something that steps on their toes!


Jimmy and I specialize in students. So some of the areas that we often find we are not too popular in are…

Modesty:

“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.” 1 Timothy 2:9-10

Friendship:

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26

Entertainment:

“I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.” Psalm 101:3

Relationships:

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” 1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV

Just like adults, teenagers don’t like to be told that they might have been wrong or made a bad decision. Instead of stopping for a minute to listen and see what God has to say about the matter (I don’t expect them to just take my word for it!) they just get angry and decide that they don’t want to talk to you, spend time with you, or listen to you anymore. That’s why I find it exceedingly hard to be popular in ministry.

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 & 14