Home is Where the Heart Is- The First Place- MONDAY

I've had a calling to ministry on my life for 30 years, and in the last 10 years, I've really wrestled with what that looks like.  At one point, I was pursuing a job in full-time ministry with a large men's ministry.  The job was "Regional Men's Ministry Director" and would require 50% travel to 5 states.  At the time, I had 3 young children at home, whom I put to bed every night.  I had never traveled with my career.  However, in my quest to do something big for God, I thought it would be worth the trade-off.  I went away to a men's retreat where I wanted to seek God's counsel on this big decision.  As I prayed about it through the weekend, I heard that small, still voice saying, "Bryan, your number one ministry is your family, and 50% travel would defy that ministry."  It was one of those crystal clear moments, and I took my name out of the hat for consideration with that organization.

It has always bothered me when I heard about some minister's marriage breaking up or when I've heard the stereotype that PK's (preacher's kids) were always wild.  I think we all have to be careful that in our quest to save the world, we do not miss the ministry to our own families.  I don't believe for a second that this is what God had in mind.  I believe God is a family man!  I believe what I heard from the Lord on that retreat...that my number one ministry is to my family.  Do you believe that?

From the beginning of creation, God started the world with a family with Adam and Eve and in the end, we are grafted into the family of God, who has prepared a house for us in Heaven.  Think of all the stories in between of families.  In the Old Testament, God painstakingly recorded the chronologies of people and their families.  We learn so much as we study the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Samuel and many more.  We read about their relationships with their wives and with their children.  We read about the struggles they faced and how they had to lead their families.  In the New Testament, we see Jesus recruiting ordinary family men to follow Him.  I don't believe they totally abandoned their families, for Matthew 8:14 talks about Jesus healing Peter's mother-in-law, who was at his house.  We also read about women and children following Jesus among the disciples.  Jesus also taught about marriage and about handling children, so we know He placed a value on the Home.

After Jesus died, rose from the dead and then, departed, we see families of believers living together in community, supporting one another.  We also see Paul instructing the leaders of the church on the importance of family:

Brothers, we keep talking about the dark days in which we live.  This is our hour to live out our Faith, and the First Place we should do this is at Home.