God wants to bless you so abundantly so He can use you as an advertisement on how well He treats His Children, says one of my favourite preachers Mark Hankins. I happen to believe this is absolutely true, why would a rich God who owns all the world not one to share that bountiful provision with us his children?

I do not crave to be rich, but I certainly do want to be able to provide my wife’s material desires, I am not going to brush them to one side and say they are ungodly and do not matter, because ask most wife’s – they really do matter, and when they are met they bring a lot of pleasure.

Man has been working since day one, naming the animals tending the garden of Eden was a pretty cool job, we as men have always been working and since the fall of man have always been trying to provide more than our wives could spend!

For most couples the first few years of marriage the ‘storming’ stages can be a minefield of financial discussions (we really call them arguments) it has to be the number one marital issue, it was for us in the early years,  I hated being the big bully who just had to say ‘no’ ‘we can’t go there’, ‘we can’t buy that’ or ‘maybe I can get her a cheaper version’.

I have always wanted to give my wife the best! For goodness sake I did it pretty well when I was dating her and even still when she was my fiancée! Something changed in my priorities when we married, even I dare to think something changed in my faith.

Because back then even if I didn’t have the cash I still spent hundreds on a helicopter ride of Cape Town for her Christmas present, I didn’t have the funds to do such things really, and when I went back to England and University I worked hard at my part time job and lived very cheaply to save up for my next flight to see my babe! Even through my final year of Uni I took on a part time job to fund my habit – my love for my fiancée who happened to be in another continent to me!

But the expense and the sacrifice mattered NOTHING! I willingly laid it all out on the table for her, now after nearly 6 years of poverty in my home, 6 years of keeping the tabs on what she spends and being to be honest cheap in my adornment of her, I am starting to renew my mind and get over this ‘poverty mentality’ that has tried to suck the joy and yes even blessing out of my marriage.

I now really believe that the hand of God’s blessing has been hindered over me, because I have not blessed His daughter in the way that He would bless her.

I am coming to realise that the wisest thing a husband can do is freely give to the needs and desires of his wife! My wife, just like yours is not stupid, she has the best interests of the family at heart, but I need to make her needs my first priority, and not restrict her, and just maybe God will cause the work of my hands to flourish even more when I put her needs first.

So what about you? Have you been a stingy husband? Should you go back to the liberty to which you spent on her before you were married? What things are you saying no to most often? Start taking care of that for her and pray for a blessing because of it.

One thing is for sure if we do this, our wives will be a lot happier and less stressed, which means they are going to be more respectful and loving to meet our needs and support us in our work.

The potential blessing is amazing, I want to go start now! What are you waiting for?