“Friday:  Date night!”  That’s what Friday means on my calendar.  I decided, when I first entered the ministry to have one night that would be a date night with my wife.  I heard a very profound pastor at a minister’s conference say that this would be a great thing to do (for the life of me I don’t remember who that guy was).  Anyway, it was great advice.  I don’t know of too many things that I do that really impresses my wife, but holding hard and fast to that night being “our date night” means more to her than I can tell you. Living with a pastor means that you spend a lot of time smiling and nodding your head, while others tell you how wonderful this man of God is.  All the time she’s saying, “yeah, yeah, yeah, how bout’ getting him to put the lid down.  That’d impress me.”  Ouch!   I heard of a man who owned a rather large factory, and he decided to have a “bring your children to work day”.  He thought that would make the company employees feel more like a family and create a sense of togetherness.  He brought his own two children to work that day also.  He had a four year old and a five year old.  He hoped that his children would see that he was a well respected and admired boss by his employees.  As he was introducing his children to some of the workers, his little five year old daughter looked up at him and said, “Do these people know that you can talk like Donald Duck?  Do it, daddy, show them!”  That meant more to them than the things he thought were impressive.  It probably meant something to the workers too.  I think he seemed more “human” after that.  Having a personal and private time with your wife and family means so much to them, but it also teaches more to your church members that you think.  They need to learn that the pastor’s family is important and that he can’t adequately care for your family if he neglects his own.

If my children grow up in a home where they or their mother take a place behind the church family, they will most likely not be involved in any church, when it comes time for them to leave home and make a life of their own, or even worse, they may end up working in a church and make their own family fall behind that church family, and the wrong is perpetuated.  Teach your church, your children, and your wife that God has given you a wonderful ministry to your own family.  Men, you don’t have to be too smart to do little things.  Take your wife out on a date each week, and . . . put the lid down.