“They gave her this blessing as she parted: “Our sister, may you become the mother of many millions! May your descendants be strong and conquer the cities of their enemies.” (Gen 24:60)
My husband and I came back after a month of vacation. I just received a welcoming letter from one of the women in our church. The letter touched me because I know this sister has changed. She used to be shy and she will draw away from me. But now she is free with her feelings. This is a great achievement! Glory to God! This is the letter:
“Good morning Malia! Welcome back home, I really missed you and I’m so happy you’re back (I am really surprised that I missed you because I do not allow myself to get close enough to people especially to a pastor’s wife to warrant that kind of feeling), but I give God all the glory . God is working on me. Once again welcome back home!”
This is my testimony… Since I became a pastor I had met many Christian women who are afraid to draw closer to me. This fear is a spiritual incapacitated bondage. It is old and it is strong. The devil has caged them. What is the source of this fear? In the past, they have been hurt by other women in the church, and especially by their pastor’s wife. Most of them say that they loved their pastors but disliked their wives. They say that their former pastors’ wives were either too legalistic, strict and religious or too worldly (gossiping, materialistic, proud, talking only about fashion or the things of this world). They have been wounded in the past by religious spirits coming thru the women leaders or pastors’ wives. Others had problems with their natural mothers who were uncaring, greedy and wicked. This is very sad indeed and the pain is real.
Because of this painful past, it is now hard for them to trust me as their pastor. Many of them they tell me so…They avoid me or they overdo things to impress me. Both these attitudes are wrong because they are artificial. Some are willing to change but others are slow to do that… For the humble and the willing there is hope that we can be family one day. Even then, it takes a lot of prayer, counselling and even deliverance so that they learn how to love again, how to trust again! I too had to learn the skill to be a spiritual mother and a spiritual doctor in the same time. I need to feel their wounds so that I am gentle but firm in their process of restoration. I too need the grace to be a mother in Christ. I especially need wisdom, patience and the love of Christ to give them the hope of healing. For the sake of Christ, I had to learn to embrace them and to wait for them until they are ready to love again.
As you see, it is not easy to be a mother in Christ or a pastor. Ministry is sacrifice! I pity the men and women who enter ministry to gain money or fame… God forbid! Ministry is hard but it is very rewarding for with God all things are possible. The beauty, power and glory of ministry proceeds from the Cross. Jesus died so that we can be saved. He shed His Blood for His Church! Therefore ministry done in the power of the Holy Spirit can never fail! Praise the Lord!
Finally, I encourage all my sisters in Christ to come to the Cross, to forgive the ones who mistreated them, to let go of the past pain and to move on as women of God covered by grace! I also pray that the women leaders in the Body of Christ learn how to trust in God alone, for the perfecting of their calling in Christ! Let’s do all things for the sake and for the glory of Christ! There is nothing greater than this! Glory to the Lamb of God!
‘Here I am the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion’ (Is 8:18)
Green Pastures 