Many Christian leaders are in a great deal of danger. No, they aren’t in trouble with the law. Many Christian leaders are in trouble because they are sacrificing their families on the altar of ministry. As Christian leaders, pastors and ministry leaders are called to lead themselves well first, then their families, and then the church or ministry they are involved in. Sadly this truth is often missing in a day when people rush out of Bible College or seminary and straight into ministry. Character is the prerequisite for biblical ministry. Knowing this is why Ajith Fernando wrote The Family Life of a Christian Leader.
This book has thirteen chapters covering the doctrine of God, prayer, sanctification, love, godly marriages, sex, joy, disappointment, and pain. The author covers unity in the home, fighting, and three chapters on children.
There was a lot to take away from this book. Probably the best chapter for me to be reminded of was chapter nine “The Love Fight”. I also enjoyed chapter seven, a chapter that covers disappointment and home, along with how to deal with frustration, groaning, grow in patience, and accept the biblical truth. Life often has seasons that are harder than others. Many people struggle with how to deal with pain, suffering, and disappointment. This chapter will help them to understand how to grow in grace as a family.
Within the field of pastoral theology, there is a lot written that specifically addresses how one can meet the biblical qualifications of 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5. With that said there isn’t enough written about how a Christian leader should lead his home well and even less on how a Christian man should lead his home. So The Family Life of a Christian Leader is a needed book.
The Family Life of a Christian Leader is a necessary book for our times. Christian leaders need guidance. Too many Christian leaders are falling by the wayside and it’s time for them to take their home lives seriously.
On both sides of my families, I have great grandparents who were both pastors. Both of them sacrificed their families for ministry. Both of my great grandparents didn’t get the point. It’s not enough to preach or minister well. It’s not enough to be successful in ministry. If you sacrifice your family on the altar of ministry you have failed and shouldn’t be in ministry.
I encourage every Christian leader to read The Family Life of a Christian Leader. As Christian leaders, we all have a lot of work to be done in our families. It starts with you and I. If we expect people to have healthy marriages, healthy relationships, it starts first with us taking seriously what the Bible teaches, and applying it in our homes. This is a work of God’s grace.
I highly recommend this book for all Christian leaders and believe it will help as a conversation starter to begin to have a healthy home that honors the Lord.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
