The Minister in His Home
God designs that in his home life the teacher of the Bible shall be
an exemplification of the truths that he teaches. What a man is, has
greater influence than what he says. Piety in the daily life will give
power to the public testimony. Patience, consistency, and love will
make an impression on hearts that sermons fail to reach.
The minister’s duties lie around him, nigh and afar off; but his first
duty is to his children. He should not become so engrossed with his
outside duties as to neglect the instruction which his children need. He
may look upon his home duties as of lesser importance; but in reality
they lie at the very foundation of the well-being of individuals and of
society. To a large degree the happiness of men and women and the
success of the church depend upon home influence. Eternal interests
are involved in the proper discharge of the every-day duties of life.
The world is not so much in need of great minds, as of good men, who
are a blessing in their homes.
Nothing can excuse the minister for neglecting the inner circle for
the larger circle outside. The spiritual welfare of his family comes
first. In the day of final reckoning, God will inquire what he did to win
to Christ those whom he took the responsibility of bringing into the
world. Great good done for others cannot cancel the debt that he owes
to God to care for his own children.
There should exist in the minister’s family a unity that will preach
an effectual sermon on practical godliness. As the minister and his wife
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faithfully do their duty in the home, restraining, correcting, advising,
counseling, guiding, they are becoming better fitted to labor in the
church, and are multiplying agencies for the accomplishment of God’s
work outside the home. The members of the family become members
of the family above, and are a power for good, exerting a far-reaching
influence.
On the other hand, the minister who allows his children to grow up
unruly and disobedient, will find that the influence of his labors in the
pulpit is counteracted by the unlovely course of his children. He who
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