Having Favor
A few years ago I was sitting in a class on Evangelism. We came to the verse in Acts 2:47 which says “Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
“Having favor.” We focused in especially on that phrase and I will never forget how the teacher pointed out how that had to mean that the Christians were LIKED in that Jerusalem town. In fact, the verse says “with ALL the people.”
We have discussed in this segment how when you are a preaching family-people view you differently. And because they view you differently- they act differently around you. They don’t feel like they can be their “true” selves.
My challenge for you as the “preachers wife” is DONT LET THAT BE TRUE! Something my husband and I have learned and are still learning in our years of ministry is that when you consistently have people in your home (like the good book says those first Christians did a few verses prior), and when you let loose and forget about certain so called titles- walls come down.
When your husband preaches- that usually means that you aren’t around any immediate family. However, when you do this- when you let people in- they BECOME family. You feel it. They feel it. You will be a stronger congregation and people in the community will be drawn to that.
Can it be stressful to keep your house clean and to figure out what everyone is going to eat for dinner? Sure it can! But know that no one expects perfection. I dare say, that the more “real” you are- the more people you can get in your home. The “home” part is important. You can’t truly bear your soul over chips and salsa while the waiter is interrupting to take your order. Although there is nothing wrong with going to eat with friends- I promise you the relationship will only get to be surface level if that is the only setting where you have any interaction. The old saying - “Home is where the heart is” especially rings true in this case. Open homes equal open hearts.
Brooke McNutt, Moulton, AL