Disadvantage of Prioritizing Ministerial Duties

The Bible says that we must first have our own house in order before we should minister to others. This is reflected in 1 Timothy 3:4-5 which states one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?). Our family is our very first ministry and not honoring our them could create discord, heart and faith issues according to the videos of this lesson. It can also discourage and plant negative seeds into the lives of your loved ones that could be long lasting. When Jesus said to Go therefore and make disciples in Matthew 28:19a I don't believe He meant to start outside of the home first. We should disciple those closest to us because what good is it for people outside the home to praise you for the work you have done but little effort has been given inside the home. Neglecting your family robs them of the joy, character building in Christ having the true role model of discipling especially with kids.

I wasn't quite finished before somehow I posted my response. I was going to say that one statement that stood out to me in the video was don't put your spiritual opportunities in front of your spiritual responsibilities. It is best to be responsible first and then look at opportunities. I have seen many a first ladies who seem to suffer because the church was put in front of the marriage. In Ephesians 5:28 it says, so husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. We would not neglect ourselves and therefore should not neglect our spouses or our household.

Good points Vanessa. That statement about spiritual opportunities vs spiritual responsibilities resonated with me as well. I have had to learn to say no to many things because they would be time consuming and keep me from effectively ministering to my family. They were good things, but they were not the best for my life and my relationship with my family.