My Role

This past Sunday, my Heroic Husband was officially ordained by the church where we met and were married.  I had only been to one other ordination service - but this one was radically different.

I have been a pastor's wife for the last nine most wonderful months (HH received his first call to a church while we were on our honeymoon).  I had a certain perception of what the role of "pastor's wife" would be.  I have seen that perception change over the last nine months - a lot.

At the ordination service, once again, my "pastor's wife" idea was altered.

I found myself surrounded by pastors and their wives - both retired and active.  All of them had encouraging words for HH and me - all of them wanted to tell their amazing ministry stories.  At one point, HH and I were called to the front of the church.  All the ordained pastors and deacons present were asked to come and pray over us.  As I listened to their prayers, I realized that this service was not only for my husband.  Yes, he was the only one being ordained, but each person also had a prayer for me. 

As these men of God prayed over HH's ministry - they prayed for my ministry to my husband.

My ministry to my husband...

I am a pastor's wife - I am not the pastor.  As my husband ministers to the congregation - I minister to my husband.   I have been uniquly desiged to by my husband's complement - his helpmate.

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper as his complement."

The word "helper" in Hebrew is עֵזֶר - ʿēzer.  It literally means "help, succour; one who helps." 
This same word is also used in

Deuteronomy 33:29
How happy you are, Israel!  Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord?  He is the shield that protects you, the sword you boast in.  Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will tread on their backs.

Psalm 33:20
We wait for Yahweh; He is our help and shield.

Psalm 121:1
I lift my eyes toward the mountains.  Where will my help come from?

Wow!  Just as God is here to help and protect you and me, I am here to help my Heroic Husband.  In the same way, he is here to protect me.

One of my favorite books is Lies Women Believe, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  In her book, she has an entire chapter dedicated to Lies Women Believe About Marriage.  Some of her "TRUTHS" really stuck out to me.

"A godly life and prayer are a wife's two greatest means of influencing her husband's life."

Praying for my husband is one of the best ways I can help my husband in his ministry.

"We are never more like Jesus than when we are serving others."

By serving by husband in whatever way he needs me, I am helping him in his ministry.  Whether that is proof reading papers, listening to him talk his sermons out, prayerfully guiding him with important decisions - I am serving my husband - and what a joy that is.

There are many women who desire to be the leader in their households and in the church.  God uniquly designed women to be helpers to their husbands - not leaders over their husbands.  As Nancy wrote,

"My willingness to place myself under God-ordained authority is the greatest evidence of how big I believe God really is."

As I was under my father's authority as a little girl, I am now under my Heroic Husband's authority - just as I am under God's authority.

I love my new role - I love being able to honor and support my husband as his unique complement - as his helpmate - as his wife.

Two ordained preachers and their wives told us stories from their ministry days - such as time on the mission field
and how they came to know Christ as their Lord and Savior.  What a blessing this ordination service was for us.