Are You Generous to Your Spouse? - PLUS Marriage Devotional

This verse sounds pretty good until that day when you feel like you have nothing left to give. Then receiving sounds pretty good—a whole lot better than giving.

Yet no matter how you may feel sometimes, Jesus teaches that it’s far better to be a giver.

This is especially true for marriage. The more you give, the happier you’ll be.

Here’s why: giving shifts your focus from what’s missing in your marriage to what matters most. Being generous to your spouse helps you see their needs, instead of fixating on your own. And strangely, a give-more-than-take attitude not only blesses your spouse—it also ends up blessing you.

How to be generous to your spouse:

Think generous thoughts: being kind starts in your mind.

Speak generous words: what you say can make your spouse’s day.

Act generously: acts of kindness touch—doesn’t have to be much!

Make time: taking time out of your day puts your love on display.

Pay attention: distractions disappear if you look while you hear.

Give support: come alongside your bride (or groom).

When you’re generous to your spouse, it’s like saying, “You matter to me. I’m so grateful for you. You’re worthy of my kindness. You deserve my attention. I’m happy to support you.”

Your spouse needs to hear these kinds of messages often—especially from you.

The Bible promises:

“If you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you.” Luke 6:38 TLB

A Prayer for Generous Marriage:

Dear Lord, you are so incredibly generous. You sent your Son for me, instead of sending your wrath. You provide forgiveness, even though you could easily condemn. And you give grace to me every day, though it’s often undeserved. Please help me do the same. Help me to be generous to my spouse, in big and small ways. Enable me to forgive and move on. Inspire me to give grace and understanding, even when my spouse fails. Make me generous in my thoughts, words, and deeds. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Questions for Reflection:

1. How has the Lord been generous to you? (See Eph. 1:3-18)
2. Proverbs 11:24-25 says, “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” How could you live more generously this week?
3. What generous, completely kind thing could you do for your spouse today?

May Patterson, author of the book, Seeking a Familiar Face, began writing over a decade ago in response to God’s grace. And by His grace, she now has a popular blog and has written many articles for various magazines, including Focus on the Family, Upper Room and iBelieve.com. She has also published a Bible study, A 40-Day Guide for Seeking God, and speaks at a variety of events, both nationally and internationally. Her desire is to encourage people to draw closer to God, like never before.

We hope you and your spouse are challenged and encouraged by today's devotional! For more of this premium marriage devotional, visit here.