I have heard many times over the years: “I don’t want to do that, but my husband is my head, so I have no choice if I want to obey God.”

Disagreements over, and the management of finances, is one of if not the major cause of divorce in the United States.  This could be eliminated if we put our decisions about money on some sound Biblical ground.

It is true that the husband is the head of the wife as stated here in Ephesians:

Ephesians 5:23-29 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. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.

Here it states that the husband is the head of the wife.

What if the husband decides to do the Bonnie and Clyde thing and rob banks? Or do drugs? Or decides to no longer go to church?  Does the wife have a right to put her foot down and say no!  YES!

It does state that the husband is the head of the wife. It also says that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.

How is it that you love your wife?  Well, one way is to honor her as God states in 1Peter.

1Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Is it honoring your wife to cut her out of financial decisions?  No! Is it honoring the wife to not listen to her regarding money? No!  Being together on the same plan and the same page alleviates many problems.  Plan out your finances and work on them until you are together.  Together Biblically is a great place to start i.e., tithing and saving.

Many decisions in marriage should be 50/50, not 51/49. Once you are married, the money is OURS, not mine and yours.  We are working toward becoming that “one flesh” God talks about.

Matthew 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain (two) shall be one flesh?

It does not matter who gets the paycheck, it is our money. It is just as much her money as it is the husbands. Work till you are on the same page.

It might help to get some good books on money and read them together.  When we drive out of town, my wife reads out loud, and I interrupt her, and we talk about different points.  Getting on the same page is the goal as to what to do with all the money as it comes in.  Dave Ramsey has some good books to read.  We also enjoyed The Millionaire Next Door. I might also recommend the book I wrote Poverty vs Wealth.

On the topic of the man as the head of the wife, Jesus had some interesting things to say in Luke.

Luke 22:24-27 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

Christ sets a great example for husbands.  Love her, honour her, serve her.

About the man being the head of the wife, Galatians adds an interesting perspective.

Galatians 3:26-29 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In the body of Christ, God sees neither male nor female.  And Colossians states that we ALL, both male and female, have Christ, the gift of holy spirit, in us. So that God can speak to the wife just as easily as he does to the husband. So, it is a sign of maturity in the Word to listen when she speaks.

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

This subject of finances and how to work together, how to recognize God at work within each other, learning how to love and respect each other, and working your finances together will affect many areas of your life.

This subject of men and women and their relationships in the body of Christ is much larger than what this small blog will allow.  But if you can keep this part of marriage straight, it will do wonders for your part in the body of Christ and the body of believers.  And it will do wonders for your marriage and for your storehouses.  It is another small piece of The Prosperous Life.