An age old plague in the Church is that of making un-natural, un-scriptural dichotemies and either treating them as dogmas or assigning unnecessary hierarchies to them.  A more famous one of these would be the odd distinction of a  ministry versus a job/occupation.  This model is damaging and useless, yet still persists and permeates many minds of Christian people.  Out of this mindset has come a further breakdown that is equally destructive to serving the community that is the Church.  This is the dichotemy of ministry not from other jobs, but from family.

It is astounding how high the threshold is for neglect if things are to be done in the name of 'ministry'.  The mindset is that personal desires should be set subordinate to the desire of God to see His kingdom served.  How can we, even for a moment fall victim to the thought that His kingdom starts beyond family?  How could it be that God desires for us to imagine Himself in opposition to the very idea of family He created?  Ministry is first and foremost to the home. 

If the most profound thing required of us, the great obedience of love, does not manifest most prominently in the character of our home serventude, can we really expect to increase the effectiveness of ministry outside of the home?  It pains me to consider family being heirarchied with 'ministry' because family is the church, and family is ministry.  To separate them is to crumble a foundation that should be a great stronghold.  Indeed, sacrifices are to be made for ministry, yet under no circumstance is family to be considered an obstacle or hinderance to serve, but instead we must rejoice that it exists to strengthen us.