One of the top needs for most wives is financial security. Men, your wife has a very real, legitimate need to know that the family's needs are going to be met.
Look at 1 Timothy 5:8:
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.That's mighty big stuff, guys. God's Word makes it clear that it is your solemn, God-given responsibility to make sure that your family is financially secure.
(1 Tim. 5:8)
I believe that means your wife shouldn't have to work if she doesn't want to.
Many problems in our society today can be traced to women having to work to help make ends meet. Notice I said having to work. It's the source of many marriage problems as well.
Why? Because when a wife is forced to work outside the home for financial reasons, she faces potential resentment toward her husband.
So what are the alternatives to the wife working outside the home when the bills aren't getting paid? Well, praise God, there are some natural, physical steps you can take and, if you're a Christian, there are also some powerful supernatural steps you can take as well.
In the spiritual realm, God has provided a way of prospering and increasing called "planting seed." We can tithe and give offerings and then watch God supernaturally work in our financial lives.
From the natural perspective, you have three basic options when your income isn't meeting your outgo.
- The husband can work a second job or longer hours.
- The wife can go to work outside the home and supplement the family's income.
- Finally, and I believe wisest of the three options, is to reduce the family's standard of living to meet its current income.
The "B" Word
To do that, you're going to have to have a budget. No, that's not a dirty word. It's something that will help you locate all the holes in your pockets so you can plug them up.
If you plug those holes and still find you're struggling to get by, husbands, you may need to take some steps to increase your income potential. You may need to change jobs or vocations.
You may even need to go back to college for a year or two. In that case, you might want to go to your wife and say, "Honey, for us to live comfortably, I am going to have to earn more money. In order to do that, I want to go back to school and get some training. Would you consider working and generating some extra income while I do?"
Chances are, your wife is not going to resent that kind of arrangement because you're giving her a choice. The problems come when she's forced to work.
There are a lot of good books on personal finance currently available in Christian bookstores. Any number of them will give more detailed steps on making your income meet your "outgo."
Realize this, husbands, regardless of what steps you have to take, it is your responsibility to provide for your family. If you'll ask God to show you how, He will. He'll open the doors of opportunity to you, and then as you become faithful in doing those things, more opportunities to prosper will arise.
Excerpt permission granted by Living Word International