Review of 10 Things Every Minister’s Wife Needs to Know by Jeana Floyd

Author: Jeanna Floyd

Pages: 160 pgs

Publisher: New Leaf Press

Price: 11.04

Genre: Ministry/Marriage/Pastor’s Wives

I received this book from New Leaf Publishing to review.  Since I am not a pastor’s wife I thought it would be good to have my wife (Nikki) read and review this book.  The following is her review…

Quick Summary:

Jeana Floyd has been a pastor’s wife for over 32 years. Her husband, Ronnie, has also written a companion piece: 10 Things Every Minister Needs to Know. These books are intended to be a practical and handy resource for the pastor and his wife. Mrs. Floyd’s edition is meant to assist the pastor’s wife in honoring God through encouraging her husband in ministry. There are ten chapters—that could easily stand alone—that are stocked full of Floyd’s wisdom as well as helpful testimonies from other seasoned pastor’s wives.

What I Liked:

I have been a pastor’s wife for a little over six years. I found this book to be extremely relevant to many of the issues that my husband and I face daily. There are many books to assist the pastor’s wife but few discuss pressing issues with the balance of grace and honesty that Floyd exhibits. She does not shy away from the truth of Scripture and how it applies to our lives, but she also writes with a compelling tenderness. The perspective that she offers is very encouraging and opened my heart to the enjoyment of ministry—to “thrive and not just survive”!

What I Disliked:

At first I thought I wanted the book to give more in-depth practical application, but the lack of such specificity actually became one of the things I loved about the book. She says just enough to allow the Holy Spirit to convict you, but also gives you the freedom to express the fruit of that work in ways that are unique to your person. That will look different for everybody, but the essentials are the same.

Should You Buy It?

Absolutely or you ministry will die…just kidding, but I really do think every pastor’s wife could benefit immensely from reading this book. I have looked for assistance in many books written to pastor’s wives few have been as helpful as this one.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Monday’s Ministry Musing: The Importance of Being a Faithful Pastor to Your Little Church

I’ve had to learn something the hard way again…imagine that!!!  The Lord is painfully showing me the need of being a faithful pastor to that which Jonathan Edwards called your little church: “Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church.”  I cannot be a faithful pastor to my wife and son at “big” church until I am a faithful pastor to my wife and son at our own little church. 

I think many pastors struggle with this.  I know I do.  I work at the office preparing sermons, spending time in study, time in prayer, time planning, and time solving all the worlds problems (or at least thinking I can).  By the time I get home at night I am exhausted.  Home is supposed to be your haven.  The place where you go to “get away from work”.  The problem is that my “work” is Jesus. 

Yeah, yeah I understand that my time at my office should be far more devotional and if my time spent at “work” were more energized by the gospel that when I came home I would be overflowing with Jesus instead of trying to escape ministry.  I agree.  And that’s the problem.  This is why what W.H. Griffith Thomas said hit me like a ton of bricks:

“We cannot make up for failure in our devotional life by redoubling energy in service for Christ. Our work will never rise higher than our devotional life. As water never rises above its level, so what we do never rises above what we are. And in our preaching we shall never take people one hair’s breadth beyond our own spiritual attainment. We may point to higher things, we may ‘allure to brighter worlds,’ but when we ‘lead the way’ we shall only take them just as far as we ourselves have gone. We shall never take people beyond our own spiritual attainment.”

If I can be boldly honest right now I’m less concerned about spiritually leading my congregation.  I am far more concerned about being faithful leading my wife and son.  If who I am at home does not reflect what I am in the pulpit then it will cripple and badly skew my families view of Jesus, the power of the gospel, and the deep love of God. 

If I get 1 less A at seminary, read 5 less books this year, preach 10 less sermons, go to 20 less meetings but my presence at home is far more impacting then I count those things as nothing.  What good is it for a preacher to gain his whole congregation but lose his own family?  If the Lord chooses to never use me to impact another soul except my wife and child(ren) then I will have been faithful. 

May I be faithful to my little church.  May it be a church that is filled with love and self-sacrifice.  May it be a church that I am willing to die for…and even more so may it be that which I am willing to live for.  May I never forsake this sacred charge.

Borrowed Light: Today in Blogworld 04/08-04/12

Timmy Brister has a short and succinct post on how to be a missionary at work.

I am pleased to inform you that the Reformed Mafia is back up and running. Not only that, but they have recruited a new writer: The Highland Host. Check out his first post on Monkeying with the Bible.

Last week Challies encouraged us to be accountable. Today he is encourging against being anonymous.

Phil Johnson continues discussing Acts 17 and contextualization.

John MacArthur lists eight ways that parents can provoke their children.

Carolyn and CJ Mahaney give practical advices to pastor's wives on how to deal with criticism of your husband.

On the heels of Together for the Gospel, Josh Harris, writing for New Attitude, delivers a great article on Unity in the Cross.

I have to get this CD:

(HT: Thinklings)