Strengthening Your Unemployed Husband
Whether your husband is unemployed, had his hours cut at work, or he’s self-employed in this down economy, if he’s having a difficult time providing for his family then you can expect him to have a tough time coping with this situation.
Dear Jolene,
My husband is depressed because he can’t seem to find a job that he wants and it’s affecting his confidence and our marriage. He seems to be distant and does not want to share his financial burden with me and told me he would rather face his problems alone. What should I do and how should I be a supportive wife and yet give him the space so that I don’t belittle him as a man and provider for the family? He hardly smiles anymore and is distant to me and our son.
Currently I am a working mother and I am earning to provide for our son. I do not ask him for money to provide for the family and give him the space he requires.
Signed,
The Dilemma Wife
This is no easy road for any wife to walk. When there are no finances (or hardly any finances) that’s truly when the rubber meets the road in our faith.
Instead of answering this question in a podcast, I thought it was best to do a video and have my husband join me seeing how we’ve walked through years of financial turmoil together.
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Click here if you can’t view the video in your email.
Here’s the broken husband post that I mentioned in the video.
Want more posts on finances and marriage? I wrote a whole series about it here.
Live a poured out life for Christ,
Jolene, I just wanted to say I really appreciated what you and your husband had to say in this video. You know this subject is near and dear to my heart as well. I shared it on my FB page and with my private UnEmployed Faith support group. I just know many women will be blessed by the truth spoken in this video.
It’s funny – now that unemployment is behind us, I often struggle to recall the pain and suffering we felt during those tough years. I should rephrase that. I remember the pain and the suffering. I don’t remember the feeling. Sort of like childbirth. The pain of labor is excruciating, but then that beautiful miracle is in your arms and you can’t even remember the pain you went through to get the blessing. Such is the unemployment story for me and my husband. God brought so much beauty (and an even stronger marriage now) out of our pain that it’s almost hard to remember it. And I know now that it was necessary for me to be where I’m at now in my faith and in the kingdom work I’m doing. 🙂
Thanks Rosann. Yes, you and I have walked similar paths. And yes, the unemployment season can feel like the pain of childbirth and then you forget about it. Although since I’m married to a self-employed man, I visit this season often! 🙂 God is always faithful no matter what we go through. He uses the trials to strengthen us and draw us closer to Him. He’s got a purpose for the pain. Thanks for sharing this with your gals. I pray it ministers to them.