By Prem Lee
Colossians 1:24 - I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church
Did Paul get it right? When we make sacrifices for ministry, who suffers?
It is our near and dear ones who make the sacrifices, though we feel we are! Those who minister are getting a sense of accomplishment, at times the satisfaction of ' doing something' for God; often the adulation of the people we minister to and so on.
The family gets nothing but your absence at crucial times, no recognition and have to suffer in silence. They are left with unanswered questions.
One of my daughters, when she was little, asked the question, “If God loves us so much, why does He take Daddy away so much?” My wife had to face so many emergencies alone like thefts and burglaries, school issues, pay bills (in those days, you had to go by bus to the offices as there were no online payments), be active in church - going by bus, with three children in tow, never missing a Sunday.
It was the church which helped us a lot in many ways in managing the situation. Without a church, it would have been impossible.
Abraham did not have much of church to help him when he went to sacrifice Isaac. He only had his faith. Somewhere along the way, Isaac came to know of the sacrifice he was going to make! Must have made a very confused pair wondering what God was doing, but they continued moving on in faith.
Often, we do not understand. Jesus clearly taught that we cannot say our money and (by implication) life is dedicated to God and so I need not fulfil my family responsibilities (Mark 7:9-13). Jesus condemned that. But for us to do ministry, irrespective of gender, our families support the ministry by the sacrifices they make. Are you willing to make the sacrifice necessary for your family to do ministry? Remember, most women are unable to do ministry because their families are unwilling to make the sacrifices. Can we be the church which provides the support that makes this sacrifice easier?