John 5:19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does( NLT)
A MODEL PROVIDER
On my way to catch up with an appointment, I listened to an interesting conversation in the bus. The conversation was between a man who called himself a pastor and some women.
This man opined that it is not his duty to make provision for his wife and children as long as his wife is working. From the view he expressed, he believed women do nothing with their money so men should abdicate their responsibilities and hand them over to their wives.
To me, he sounded like a man who is an expert at impregnating his wife but doesn't care about other responsibilities that follow.
I became attentive because I wanted to know how the whole thing will end. Some of the women who heard him opposed him with bitterness in their hearts against his callous and unkind statement. Most of them are market women struggling to help their families.
They wondered why an able-bodied man who can work and make life better for his wife and children will push all of that to his wife. That man is a shame to fatherhood.
Some men are only good at sleeping with their wives but are never ready to take responsibility for making provisions for their seeds.
I have met women who are burdened with the yoke of providing for their household not because their husbands are dead or sick, those men are just lazy and irresponsible. Women married to such men age faster because they are never happy. Whenever I see this, i'm not happy.
Some men love life, fashion and pleasure. They invest in their looks and are nice to people on the streets but their reputation with their wives and children is akin to that of Satan.
God the father is a provider. Every other father must imitate him in this. In the Lord's prayer, while praying to the father, Jesus said, "Give us this day our daily bread"( Luke 11:3). Do you know that God is committed to providing for mankind? Yes, we all are sustained by him.
Paul says, "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"( 1 Tim 5:8).
Some women are not really after the amount you earn especially If they earn more. All they want to see is that you are committed to the welfare of the family by giving what is within the frame of your earning capacity.
Don't sit at home watching t.v. while other men are at work neither should you say you're waiting for the "big jobs" to come while you can do something to make life better for your wife and children.
As a man, If you are not sick, there is nothing stopping you from working to provide basic needs for your family. There is dignity in labour.
Fathers who do not provide for their household may lose their respect in the long run. Respect is earned and not demanded. Ensure you do all that is legal to make provision for your family.