Q: For a young woman starting in the ministry, how can she best support her husband and build up her home?

A: Those are really big things in life — starting your ministry, supporting your husband, building your home, and taking care of your children. But usually, they come in seasons instead of all at once because each one of those things, but especially raising children, is a demanding responsibility. So you might find yourself in a season when you’re helping your children and doing your best to support your husband — but as far as your ministry goes, you might only be able to do a little bit in that season. 

That’s how it was for me. I wanted to do all those things — marriage, family, and ministry. But my children needed me. And although I wanted to travel in the ministry and be with my husband, there was a time when I needed to be home. 

That kind of conflict always reveals things inside you that need a touch from God, and that was certainly true for me. What often happens is, you decide you’re going to do what’s best and support your husband by supporting your children at home — but you don’t always feel supported yourself, and there will be times when it’s not always what you want to do. 

But making hard decisions to take responsibility and do the right thing is preparing your for ministry! When you are taking care of your children or supporting your husband — and sometimes that includes forgiving your husband for not understanding the depth of your sacrifice — you are doing whatever it takes, and it’s not wasted time at all. God is building you, and when the time comes for you to step out in the ministry, you’ll really have something to give. 

Just because someone wants to be in the ministry, and she thinks that’s the spiritual thing to do, doesn’t mean she has what God wants her to have to give to others. It’s when you go through some things and learn some things from Him, including what it means to sacrifice, that’s when you’ll really have something to give in the ministry.