Who Am I?

Good question. And nearly every member of your home congregation will have a different answer!

We are not going to list them all here; surely some of your dear sisters have shared them with you already. Coming to you as a wife with 50+ years of experience as being a preacher’s wife, (and 45 of those years in the same congregation), my perspective may be different. Here are some of my gleanings from my years:

Who are you? First, you are a child of God (John 1:12). You are a servant of God (I Cor 4:1-2). Nothing you do as a child, or as a servant, should be because you are the preacher’s wife. There is no list of requirements in the Bible for that “office.” We are not held to a higher standard than any other Christian. If you find yourself in that situation, you must (kindly) let people know you are choosing ways that work for you to serve the Lord. So, should you teach Bible classes? Absolutely, if you have the talent, or the ability to learn. Should you entertain in your home? Certainly, if you have those skills, or know someone who can help you learn. You and God know what talents He has given you. He expects you to use them to his honor and glory. He expects you to grow and become “meat eaters” not “milk drinkers.” But He does not expect you to perform in some role for which you have no talent.

Who are you? You are the wife of a man who has made a great commitment to the Lord. You are to be the wife that God describes in the Bible – a help mate. When you married, you promised to love, honor, and obey. I know some of you that find yourself in the position of “preacher’s wife”, did not know that going into your marriage. Your husband may have made that decision years into your marriage. Hopefully, he did that with care and concern for your feelings. Hopefully, you agreed to the new role, rather than being forced into it. I had the blessing of knowing years before I married Paul that his calling to be a preacher came while he was a child. (He has often reminded me that I knew he was a preacher and a hunter before we married. He has lived faithfully to both of those callings)!

So, who are you? You are . . . YOU! You have value and worth to God, to your husband and family, and to your home congregation. Being a preacher’s wife cannot be your excuse or reason for doing anything. We do what we do to praise God and give him glory, 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Persevere, sisters. It is a good life

Patsy Shero, San Angelo, TX