THE Bible says, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing." This is especially true of the gospel minister. A good wife is indispensable to a successful ministry. She is the guardian of his health, reputation, and to a large extent, his influence. She can make him or break him. Let us consider this often forgotten woman and study those areas of her activity that may contribute to making a better man of the man in the pulpit.
1. She is not the assistant pastor of the church. She should, therefore, absent herself from the board meetings of the church. There is a basic reason for this. The temptation to contribute to the discussion may prove too strong for her. And the desire to defend her husband may at times prove overpowering. Her "defense" can be her husband's undoing. Happy is that woman to whom the administration of the church is "husband's work," and not hers. By being herself, handling leading questions with wide-eyed innocence, and reserving whatever counsel she has for her husband by the fireside, she plays best her role as minister's wife par excellence.
2. She is not the pastor's secretary; therefore, she cannot commit her husband to any appointment without consulting him. She should not present publicly an opinion or position on any subject. In this she best protects him from the burden of supporting her position against his own better judgment. The minister's wife must recognize these opportunities for endless mischief and avoid them at all cost.
3. The minister's wife is not automatically eligible for church office. She should decline any elective position that a qualified layman could fill. The church will love her more, and her husband's influence will be more lasting. She should stand ready at all times to serve the church in a supporting role.
4. She is not a spectator. Some wives mistakenly divorce themselves from all their husband's work. They stand aloof from the work and the congregation. This attitude can paralyze the husband's program, and kill his influence. The members reason that if the wife is not interested in her husband's work, why should they be.
Now let us consider what the minister's wife should do.
1. She should treat all church members alike. She cannot be attracted to one faction or another but is friendly and helpful to all. She makes a special effort to single out the poor and bring encouragement to them.
2. If at all possible she should work actively with youth and children. Youth choirs and social affairs must be planned and kept alive through active promotion. The minister's wife can bring prestige to this branch of service by lending it her active support.
3. In evangelistic campaigns the minister's wife can give specialized service. In Bible work, women are especially effective. In a personal visit she not only brings the prestige of the evangelist's name, but the power of her own personal experience with Christ. I have long helped my husband in this area and have had the joy and privilege of leading many souls to the fold of God in His strength and by His grace.
Many of you will shrink from this responsibility because you were not trained for it. Perhaps this personal experience will help. A minister was dropped from the work for nonproductivity. In another campaign he worked voluntarily as an associate. The wife was hired as Bible instructor. At first she demurred on the grounds that she had never before had this experience. Finally, her love for her husband overcame her fear of the unknown, and she consented to try to do the work. After twelve weeks of faithful toil, this good woman brought forty-five persons to Christ for church membership! My dear sisters, you may be the only person available for the help your husband needs most. To fail him is to consign him to a degree of success that is considerably less than is his potential,
4. The minister's wife can also assist her husband in pastoral visitation. In this she can still any tongue that would seek to do him harm. A smiling, friendly wife at his side reveals to all a husband and wife pastoral team that upholds Christian standards as they seek to encourage and help their members. Then there are the Ingathering campaigns and many other outreach programs of the church that are natural outlets for our wifely talents.
Fellow ministerial wives, God gave us to our husbands. May we be the blessing and help He intended us to be.
