The family life of an ordained worker is very important to God and to the devil. It determines the extent to which he or she can be used of God. 1 Timothy 3:4-5 make it clear that if a man does not know how to rule his own house that he won't be able to take care of the church of God. God will not give His sheep to a shepherd who will scatter or devour them. Therefore, it is important that an ordained worker starts his work from home, to train his family in the way of the Lord. Charity begins at home.

God testified of Abraham that he would command his children to keep the way of the Lord, that God may bring upon Abraham that which He had spoken of him; which was to make him a great and mighty nation. Based on this testimony, Abraham qualified to know what plans God had for Sodom (Genesis 18:16-21).

Definitions

1. Ordained Worker - A person on whom holy orders have been conferred. He is consecrated to perform various activities in the church.
2. Family life - This is the routine interactions and activities that a family has together. It is the kind of life a person normally leads when one is married and has children.

The Family Life

Therefore, the family life of an ordained worker is the kind of life he leads when he is married and has children. The kind of relationship he has with his family. It is expected that he is a good husband or wife and a good parent to his or her children, a role model to the family.

Therefore, an ordained worker

• Loves or submits to the spouse - Ephesians 5:21-26
• Provides for the family: spiritual, physical and emotional needs - 1 Timothy 5:8
• Cares for the family - Proverbs 31:15, 27
• Trains the children in the way of the Lord - Proverbs 22:6
• Does not provoke the children to wrath - Ephesians 6:4
• Rules the home well - 1 Timothy 3:4-5
• Is a role model to the family - Philippians 2:5-11

The Effects of the Family Life

The family life of an ordained worker affects the services rendered. A good and peaceful family life will lead to a productive service in the house of God. It also determines his rating and placement in the house of God and how receptive members are to his or her instructions. Furthermore, the family life reflects his or her obedience to God and His word, as such the spiritual stand before God, the devil and man, and how much spiritual authority the person can exercise.

In conclusion, who are you emulating? Is it Eli the priest, whose family life led to his family's removal as the priests, the death of his sons and the capture of the ark (1 Samuel 2:27-36, 4:11)? Or is it Jehonadab the son of Recab, who trained his children on how they were to live and they abided to his instructions even after his death; which led to God releasing a sworn blessing upon his descendants (Jeremiah 35)? MAKE YOUR CHOICE TODAY AND DETERMINE YOUR SERVICE AND FUTURE IN THE LORD.