Daily Devo - A Loving Husband - Day 4

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DAY 4 – LOVING HUSBANDS PROVIDE FINANCIALLY

 

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:8, ESV

 

To be a provider is to be like God. God was called Jehovah Jireh by the Hebrews. It means the Lord Provides! In God’s way of doing things, he holds the husband responsible to ensure the family is provided for financially, emotionally, and spiritually.

 

Financially, it’s important for the husband to lead the way in modeling what this looks like. The husband is to earn a good income to provide for this wife and kids if he has them. In doing so, he’s fulfilling the basic responsibilities most unbelievers accept (1 Timothy 5:8). With income comes the responsibility to manage these resources as God sees fit. The basic pattern from the Old Testament to the New Testament is to give, save, and spend. This means being generous to give 10% of one’s income as a tithe, which is representative of the whole to show honor and trust to God that everything is his really, and then to give above that is considered being sacrificial.

 

In providing for the wife financially, the husband should not only seek to model faithful giving, but also saving and spending as well. Getting the family on a budget, setting money aside for life insurance, health insurance, emergency funds, and savings should be taken into account in order to provide financial security for the marriage.

 

There is nothing biblically wrong with both spouses working; however, for couples with young children, it’s essential that there is adequate time to care for and nurture the children. God has gifted women to carry and conceive children and has naturally designed the mothers body nurture and care for the child. If both members of the couple are forced to work, this can put a very difficult burden on the marriage and family. In this situation, the husband and wife will need to pray and make a decision with mutual understanding.

 

Additionally, there are times in which the wife may make more than the husband, or the wife enjoys to work and they’ve made arrangements for child care and are still able to provide the needed care and attention that the kids need. Each family is different and each family needs to make their own decisions with God’s word and God’s spirit as the guide.

 

I can think of a time in my life when I needed Leslie to work in order to make ends meet. I was in seminary, trying to finish two masters degrees in three years. I was working part time, but it’s wasn’t enough. We both decided it was best to work for a season of time so that we could finish my schooling and prepare to plant a church. In this kind of situation, each husband and wife will need to work as a team to discuss, pray, and plan how they will work to ensure the family is provided for.

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