The Countdown: 7-Day Devotional for the Soon-to-Be HusbandSample

LEND

For God so loved the world that He gave…

If you have been a Christian for sometime now, you probably can finish that scripture found in John 3:16. Although we are thankful for Christ coming to the Earth and dying for our sins, today's leadership lesson is brought to us by Our Father.

Learning how to give will be crucial for marriage. Yes, you spend time with your fiancé now but when you get married, more often than not, we take for granted the time we have together because we just think she is always going to be there. So I am going to challenge you to focus on three things that I believe will bode well for you and your future marriage.

Number one: make sure you lend and give your attention when your wife is talking to you. This is more than listening; this is focusing on hearing her heart during conversations and making eye contact. This is the gift of active listening. This also means turning off social media, tv, podcasts, closing laptops and shutting off computers.

Number two: make sure you lend your time to others. Yes, it’s important to have some time to build your own family. However, you are also called to be the light. This is something God had to personally work on my heart. This means helping people move, getting in community and even a small group to share your life experiences with. One thing I’ve learned is that people might be going through the same thing or have gone through similar situations, but we will never know if we don’t spend time and fellowship with others. Give your time away!

Number three: make sure you learn how to give your resources away which includes your money. 2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 says, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (ESV)

Remember, that we are blessed to be a blessing. As you enter into marriage try to switch your focus from building your kingdom to building God’s Kingdom. He desires to partner with you, but you have to pray for a generous heart. Make a margin in your budget to give to God first after every paycheck. I will not get into how much you should give, but it should be discussed with the Holy Spirit and then your wife whatever amount you feel He is asking you to give.

Prayer

Father, thank You for giving Your Son to die on the cross for our sins. I am forever grateful. Help me not take for granted my future spouse and the time I have with her. Also, I recognize that everything is Yours so please help me learn how to be generous with both my time and my resources so I can build Your Kingdom not mine. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.