FAMILY FINANCE (2): MATTERS OF FINANCIAL NAKEDNESS.

MAIN TEXT: Gen.2:22- 25
MEMORY:
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Gen.2:25)

Financial nakedness refers to being open to each other about your finances. Severally, during question time after marriage talks, the question of a joint purse for husband and wife comes up. The way that individuals look at the issue of common purse in which both husband and wife keep the same account differs. Some are vehemently against it, while there are many who though they believe it is good, find it difficult to effect. Only very few actually practice it.
One important thing to note is that financial nakedness is not just about joint account but about being open to each other in our earnings and spendings. There are several reasons why financial nakedness is important in marriage;
• It strengthens your unity. Financial nakedness makes you to depend on each other for decision making and anything that makes you to depend on each other strengthens your unity as a couple.
• It reduces suspicion
• It makes planning easy
• It creates room for quality decisions.
• It makes it difficult for you to deviate into things that will create problems for your family in the future.



Obviously, financial nakedness is good for marriage but there are several factors that work against it:
• When the level of trust is low. It is difficult to open up to your spouse when there is low level of trust.
• When you don’t keep friends who support such idea. If your friend does not believe in being naked to his spouse, he is not likely to appreciate your being naked to your spouse. Your beliefs about marriage should be one of the factors that determine the friends you keep.
• When either of you has hidden items of expenditure. When you have items which you secretly spend on, it is impossible to be open to your spouse. It must be recognized that there is very likely to be some areas of spending which will be exclusive to your spouse. You should allow him or her that privacy while it is also replicated in your own life. When you do that, the tendency to hide will be reduced drastically.
• When you have not really bonded as a couple.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.(Gen.2:24)
The scripture talks about being joined to one’s spouse above. Such bonding makes it easy for two individuals in marriage to become one, which makes nakedness inevitable.
• When you are into immorality.
• When you are not ready to allow some level of exclusive area of spending for your spouse.
• When the fact that your spouse is the most important person in your life has not really dawned on you.
• When you have not really disclosed who you are to your spouse.

DISCUSSION POINTS WITH YOUR SPOUSE
• In which areas of your finances are you finding it difficult to be naked to each other?
• Why do you think it is happening?

PRAYER
Father, help me remove all obstacles that prevent me from being open to my spouse about my finances in Jesus’ name.

QUOTABLE QUOTE
IF YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE ARE OPEN TO EACH OTHER ABOUT YOUR FINANCES, IT WILL SAVE YOU FROM WASTAGE AND OTHER FINANCIAL ERRORS. – Dr. Mike Oluniyi

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