Married...With Money?

When we get married, we promise to be there for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer...and that's the one that can often get dicey. Two separate people with two separate ideas about finances come together under one roof. This could be a recipe for disaster unless God is in the middle of all decisions.

While decisions about spending, saving, investing and giving must be made as a team, there is one Biblical truth in all things.

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Ephesians 5:23

Before women everywhere throw up their hands and run screaming from this blog, the financial implications of this verse are simple. Christian women are not to make major decision in the home without their husbands' input. They are the head of the home, not us. Going against this principle goes against Scripture, breaking our relationship with the Lord.

Working together to make financial choices strengthens communication and improves the marriage little by little. Going off and making decisions that affect an entire household shows a lack of respect, which can tear a marriage apart.

What if you're a saver and your husband is a spender? Or vice versa? How do you agree on money management when your financial personalities clash?

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Extinguishing conflict is so important in any marital conversation, especially one like money. The idea in any relationship, marriage or friendship, is to enjoy, to find pleasure in each other and to end the day happier than it began. If you're at odds about how to spend money, the friction can lead to other disputes elsewhere in the relationship.

The solution can often be simple communication. If you want to spend a large amount of money, sit down and talk about the purchase together, pray about the practicality of the purchase and then make the decision as a couple. This way there is respect, conversation and a lifting up of each other. What a more peaceful way to handle finances than explaining yourself after the fact or arguing about an empty savings account.

Everything in a marriage is a partnership, and finances are no exception. The issue isn't who makes what percentage or who's a spender. It's all about staying on the same page about how God would have you steward your money together.

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