SheLeads Part 4: She Balances Life & Ministry

Priscilla is my kind of leader-girl! She was a woman who not only loved scripture, but she loved teaching it to others.

I remember so clearly my call into Bible study and teaching. It happened at a 2007 “Deeper Still” event with the big three…Priscilla, Beth, and Kay.

Kay Arthur challenged all 20,000 women in that arena to study all 66 books of the Bible. It was then and there that I realized how shallow my personal Bible study habits were. I answered the call not only to personal study, but also to teach others how to study.

Priscilla’s mission wasn’t about attracting masses of women into a conference hall. Rather, she was a true partner with her husband in discipling young believers in the New Testament church found in Acts.

Through this “SheLeads” series, we always want to look deeply at why these women were effective leaders. So lets take a  comprehensive spiritual inventory of Priscilla. She is only mentioned a few times, but we can detect a pattern in those mentions.

1. Priscilla and Aquila are always mentioned together in scripture. Why is this significant?

First, it shows interdependence between this power couple of the Bible. Interdependence is not an easy stage of maturity to attain. Many couples, at best, stay at the independent level; in other words, they are independent operators.

She does her thing…he does his thing…and they fall into the same bed at the end of the day.  <Tweet This

Priscilla and Aquila even co-labored  as tent-makers. Now folks ministering with your spouse is one thing, but working with them is quite another. That is a lot of “togetherness”.

Secondly, their interdependence speaks of deep respect for each other. True respect and honor for a spouse reflects a high level of maturity. Many couples have a power struggle of sorts going on internally. In this situation, there is usually a clear winner and a clear loser. This kind of relationship sets up for competitiveness or one spouse being totally dependent on the other – neither of which is healthy.

Leaders work interdependently with each other to get the best results. A competitive mindset only leads to diminished returns and low relational trust.

2. Priscilla and Aquila stuck together during tough times.

The very first mention of them in Acts 18:2 tells us that Paul found them in Corinth after they were forced out of Rome during the Jewish dispersion under Emperor Claudius. Rather than getting stuck in the hard circumstance of being tossed out on their ear, they continued in their tent-making, but also reached out to help Paul as he began his ministry in Corinth.

Paul recognized the value of this ministry pair and took them with him as he set sail to Syria. They went as far as Ephesus with Paul, and they were left there to minister.  That was a huge mission assignment. Ephesus was a large, major port city. So to establish a Christian presence there would be extremely impactful. And that is exactly what Priscilla and Aquila did – they established a church beginning in their home.

Later in Romans 16, after Priscilla and Aquila returned to Rome, Paul instructs the Roman church to greet them warmly. The meaning of “greet” is not a stand offish, “Hello, how are you?” It literally means to fall all over someone with hugs and kisses. In this context, Paul reveals another tough time in this couple’s life…”who for my life risked their own necks…” Romans 16:4.

We do not know what kind of trials and suffering Priscilla and Aquila experienced because the Bible does not give those details. But the fact remains they stuck together through some major life trials. True leaders do not give up during hard times, they persevere.

3. Priscilla and Aquila mentored others.

While in Ephesus, a powerful young preacher came through town. He even had a cool name –  Apollos. This traveling evangelist had a great delivery and his heart was in the right place. However, he only preached about the baptism of John the Baptist. Rather than publicly correcting Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla pulled him aside and explained to him “the way of God more accurately” Acts 18:26. After this mentoring, Apollos went on and had a great ministry proving Jesus was the Christ.

What a great lesson from these two! Rather than talking about Apollos behind his back or becoming jealous of his powerful delivery, they simply offered help. That is true win-win thinking…they knew this man had the potential of making huge kingdom impacts. They didn’t worry that he would take some of their followers because their goal was for people to follow Jesus, not to follow a particular teacher.

True leaders help others find their voice. They pour their knowledge, skills, and heart into other people because they see the larger picture.  I once heard a Ugandan missionary say, “I want to die empty.” He knew by pouring into other people, his legacy – and more importantly – the message of the gospel, would be carried on to future generations.

Priscilla and Aquila’s two-getherness is a powerful example of how couples can do ministry as a team. When I first felt the call into a similar ministry, I wanted to quit my day job and go all over the place and teach Bible studies. But that would not have honored my first ministry partner, my husband. Priscilla kept right on making tents with her man as she ministered alongside of him.

If God is leading one person in a marriage to do such drastic things like quitting a job, I believe He will reveal the plan to the other partner as well. Such a dramatic choice without considering the implications on the relationship would be an example of the “independent operator”  mindset.

Priscilla found the balance between real life with a job and her heart for ministry. <Tweet this

Priscilla’s leadership did not negate her husband’s role as the biblical leader of their home. They ministered, mentored, and worked together honoring God as “fellow workers in Christ Jesus” (Romans 16:3).

Galatians reassures us that in Christ, there is equality…There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus… Galatians 3:28.