You can’t do it on your own, girls,” Lisa McKay told a room full of ministers’ wives. Roll “your anxieties onto the capable shoulders of Christ.”
McKay was the featured speaker for the Ministers’ Wives Luncheon on March 1, which was held during the State Evangelism Conference and sponsored by Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union.
McKay, author of “You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes” and wife of Luke McKay, pastor of Ider Baptist Church, told the women that in addition to being called to serve as a pastor’s wife, mother and Bible teacher, her “special affection lies with pastors’ wives.”
“It’s so fun for me to come and spend time with you,” she said. “We get each other. I feel like we can all get together and encourage life in ministry.” That’s because they have all gone through trials at some point, McKay said.
“What the Lord has shown me is these trials that you have are necessary,” she said. “The Book of 1 Peter is one we can rely on. The whole theme (of the book) is we can be people who are overcomers as we are undergoing.”
Using 1 Peter 5:1–7, McKay taught her fellow ministers’ wives how to overcome as they undergo.
First “we overcome feeling unconnected by seeking fellowship with those who share common ground,” she said.
“For pastors’ wives, there are so few opportunities where we can share our hearts with someone like us,” McKay said.
“What I want to challenge you is this: Look around this room and I want you to get the name of one other pastor’s wife that you didn’t get today. Know where she lives and get in contact with her after today.”
Second “we overcome feeling unqualified by remembering the intentionality with which God appointed us to our particular congregation,” she said. McKay told the women they must remember that their congregation is their inheritance even when things don’t seem to be going well. And the only way they can do that and get through those tough situations is to remember they are “safe in [God’s] arms.”
“When [my] husband is hanging his head, all I know to do is to pray like a mad woman,” she said, adding, “We have to be strong, confident women so that we can hold our man up when he feels alone like no one else can do it.”
Third “we overcome feeling unappreciated by being examples of humility,” McKay said.
“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,” she said. “If that is the garment we wear, it will change the way in which we serve our churches if we put that on before entering the church each week.”
Lastly “we overcome feeling unable by rolling our anxieties on to the capable shoulders of Christ,” McKay said.
“The ultimate sign of humility is to take our cares and roll that onto Christ and trust that He will take care of it,” she said. “Anything we roll onto Him is going to have the proper resolution.”
McKay encouraged the women to learn to pray to the Lord: “I trust who you are; I’m not going to manipulate this. I’m not going to direct it; I’m going to trust you and leave it with you.” (Neisha Fuson contributed)
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