So many times, I have seen it. The pastor or minister's wife takes a backseat role to her husband. Some women have even said "that's what he does."

I don't believe that wives necessarily MUST work in the ministry with their husbands. However, I do feel that any woman married to a pastor or minister plays an important role. Your husband is serving God and is on the front lines winning people to Christ, which puts a huge target on his back. The enemy will throw everything at him to get him to quit or fall into temptation.

I believe as women we have our own identity and we have a purpose that God wants us to fulfill. What God certainly does want from us is to encourage and support our husbands.

Let's put it this way: many people to which your husband ministers think he is a spiritual superman. However, you see him every day and can help him stay accountable or encourage him when he is discouraged. He is not expected to show discouragement or weakness in public.

Your husband needs you, as his wife to be involved with him and his calling, and to support him. That does not mean you lose your identity or who you are, or that what you do is not important. Just the fact that the Lord would call you to be a wife of a pastor or minister is a great honor. 

Here are five ways you can support your husband in ministry:

1. Give him over to the Lord. He belongs to God and God has called him to be a minister. I do believe that men of God need to try to balance ministry, marriage and family; however, the worst thing we can do as wives is pull on our husbands and distract them from what God has called him to do because of our neediness. Our husbands can never meet all of our needs—only God can.

2. Pray for him. Because he is in the enemy's crosshairs, Satan will even pull your emotional strings to distract him. Your husband needs your prayers. You know his weakness and challenges, and as his wife you have authority as you pray for him. 

3. Respect his office as a minister. The hardest to do at times is to respect the office your husband walks in. At church, he is the pastor and at home he is the husband. You may have to remind him at times about the latter.

4. Be his biggest cheerleader. Try to be involved in the services or events that he ministers at when you can.  I've seen youth pastors ministering to teens, and the wife is nowhere to be found. If you are able to be there, be there to support him. Encourage him after he ministers because many times the enemy will try to attack his mind and make him think the word he just preached wasn't well received.

5. Don't get offended. Your role as a wife can be challenging, whether it's a tired husband coming home or your role in dealing with the children while he gets to travel around the world. Sometimes people in your church love your husband and don't think much of you. Whatever situations arise that would cause you to be offended, DON'T.  That is a trap of the enemy. If he can pull you out, he has your husband. 

I pray for all the mighty women of God that have been called to be the wife of a pastor or a minister. You are a strong woman. You have a great call and purpose in your life. Don't give up and let God be the source of every need you have.

Just like Esther changed the future of her people and Ruth was obedient and honoring, these women received blessings beyond what they could imagine through their humility, honor and reverence to the Lord. I am so honored to be a pastor's wife and that He has called me to be a support to my husband. Together, we are helping to build His kingdom.

Along with her husband, Pastor Luis Reyes, Tricia Reyes is the co-founder of The New Church Of Joy in Waukegan, Illinois. She is a blogger, author and helps manage her daughter Madison's (Maddie Rey) Music Ministry. She is a devoted wife and mother to Madison and Matthew and loves the Lord with all her heart! To learn more about Tricia's ministry or to book her for a Women's Event/Conference visit her website at triciareyes.com or thenewchurchofjoy.com.

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