This is about relationships and ministry.

God must always be first in our lives.

Husbands, wives and your family second.

Then any ministry that you may be doing last.

If you find that your ministry is getting in the way of your family life then this needs to be sorted out and put right because God instituted marriage and families in the garden long before he brought the church and the various ministries within it into being.

Many people can find that what they are doing within the church is taking up time that should be given to their families.

They may not know that this is happening or they may feel under pressure because they are in a position of authority, that they have to always have be ministering to others.

When this happens they can end up on a ministry treadmill.

This is a trap of the enemy which if not addressed can lead to family breakdown and ministry burnout which is what the enemy would like to happen.

In doing this he can in one move destroy that persons family and ministry.

If the enemy can not slow us down then he will try to make us too busy.

So if this is happening we may have to refuse or pull back from ministry situations that are getting in the way of our family life even if it means passing up some big opening that may or may not have come from the Lord at the time.

This could also be a test for you.

If its from the Lord then the Lord will make a way so that your family life will not suffer.

You may have to refuse something that has come from leadership but if that leadership is really in tune with the Lords will then they will understand that the family must come before any ministry.

Then when everything is in balance, God first, family second and ministry third, then your relationship with God will grow, your relationships within your family will grow and be right, and your ministry will grow in the Lords time.

Everything will be right in the Lords eyes.

Dave 16/7/97.