Serving others is one of the most amazing things to do. It is humbling, challenging, and it can be very rewarding. Serving in the church has been a part of my life for a long time. Whether is was taking care of babies, teaching little kids bible stories, singing in choir, cleaning, leading a bible study, or anything else that was needed.
Serving with my friends was always a bonus.
Change dirty diapers, and talk to my best friend at the same time...
Sing in the choir, and get worship next to my closest friends...
Recently, I've understood the importance of serving with the valuable people in my life more than ever.
This is why I recognize how much of an honor it is to get to serve with my husband!
Serving together has helped us grow and become better people, and better spouses.
We still have our own things that we like to do, he runs sound, while I play with babies.
But we are serving the same God within the same church, and we find opportunities to serve alongside one another and be challenged together.
As we sat in our small group the other night with a bunch of other married couples, I began to realize how blessed I am to get to serve alongside of him, and how much it has impacted our marriage.
Here are 4 things that I've learned about serving with your spouse:
1- Serving together makes you happy
When you are helping other people and teaching others about Jesus, you can't help but be happy. It is one of the most amazing things that we get to do as Christians, is to love others. There is an unexplainable joy, and sharing that with your spouse is incredible.
When my husband and I get to serve together, and I see his leadership and passion, it puts the biggest smile on my face. I'm already a proud wife, but that takes it to the next level.
2- Serving together helps you learn new things about one another
Even when we think we know a lot about our spouse, there is always more to learn. Serving together stretches us and challenges us, requiring us to be more vulnerable.
When my husband and I started leading a small group, we both had our own way of doing things, and we had to learn how the other person taught, led and communicated in this type of setting.
3- Serving together makes you fall even more in love
There is a bond that you create when you are depending on a partner in a leadership/servant role. When we serve together, we need each other, and rely on each other. There is a deep connection that cannot be reached any other way. We connect when we are serving together, but also when we are preparing together. We learn together and challenge each other. We see our strengths highlighted, and step in during each others weaknesses. We become ONE in a new way. The way that I love Chris has significantly changed since we began serving together.
4- Serving together deepens your foundation
When my husband and I traveled to India, we were asked to share with the people everywhere we went, in churches, schools, children's homes, offices... at times, I was nervous, anxious, overwhelmed and scared... but having my husband next to me to pray for me and hold my hand was what helped me remain focused and have the faith I needed.
Our relationship took a huge leap during those 12 days of travel. Our marriage changed drastically during that trip. We experienced each other in a whole new way. We became so focused on God, and the role that He plays in our marriage.
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| This is a picture from India, when Chris was sharing in a church in Delhi, the capital of India. There were 700 people crammed into a room that was at least 100 degrees, worshiping and praising Jesus, with many hanging in the windows and doors just to hear the words spoken. |
