The Husband as a Provider

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 his wife, kids, and even relatives. 

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 belongs to God, and we are being entrusted to steward what he places in our hands!

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.

For couples with young children, it’s essential that there is adequate time to care for and nurture the children.  God has specially gifted the wife with the ability to mother and to carry and conceive children, and has been naturally designed for the sacred institution of Motherhood.

If both spouses are working full time to pay their bills when a child comes along, this can put an undue burden on the family.  In most cases, it would be best to lower one’s standard of living and give more attention to the home and family than to seek a double income. 

God’s plan for the young mother is to serve as the primary caregiver.  God’s plan for the father is to serve as the primary provider.  He may have a wife that works and may even receive a higher wage, nonetheless, he’s called to provide to the best of his ability and ensure his family is taken care of. 

There are times in which the wife may earn more money than the husband, or the wife enjoys working, and they’ve made arrangements for childcare at the appropriate age 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.

It should be noted, wives are called to “love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home” (Titus 3:4-5.)  To work at home doesn’t mean she can’t work.  It doesn’t mean that she can never work outside of the home.  It does, however, mean that she must be working at home to care for the needs of the household.

Therefore, the husband must do all that he can to ensure his family is provided for.  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 master’s degrees in three years.  I was working part-time, but it wasn’t enough.  We both decided it was best for her to work from home for a short 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. 

The Husband’s Homework 

1. Ask your wife if she wants to be home more for mothering and caring for the home needs. 
2. Ask if she feels provided for.
3. Ask your wife to join you in reading and reviewing Titus 3:4-5 and Proverbs 31 as to the role of a mother and wife in and outside the home!  Ask how you can better help her fulfill those roles. 

Got Questions?  Want to Learn More about Marriage?  

I am relaunching Real Life with Ryan on my personal Facebook page, which will have live videos starting with Marriage & Parenting on Thursdays at noon.  If you have questions about our current series or just about marriage and parenting, please send them over to me at www.RyanRice.org, where I have a form that you can use to ask me questions that I might use in the Facebook live events.  Join me beginning Thursday, August 25th at noon.