The curse – that is where this all started. In the Garden, Adam was a provider. He worked the ground, cultivated it and made it his own. This is part of his design. He was supposed to use the work of his hands to provide for his family. But then he fell and the curse followed him.
God said that man would work the field, but it would never produce equal to the amount of work he invested. Ever since then, man has tried to find his worth in what he could do with his hands, only to find that it never truly fulfills. This is why so many men are workaholics. We chase the temporary satisfaction of hard work like a drug.
My wife stays home with our two children. As a church planter, my financial resources have never been the envy of my neighbors. But my wife knows one thing, if my family has a need I will do anything to provide it. I work several jobs outside of being a full-time pastor. I do web design, photography for a motorcycle shop, and have at times spent my summers mowing yards all to make sure my family is provided for. If she comes to me with a need, I can tell her to not be afraid and to have faith. Her husband will make it work. I am designed to do this.
However, there is a down side. Sometimes I confuse being a provider with being THE Provider. I take on her stress and worry so she can relax, but I forget to pass that onto my Provider. God never intended for me to provide merely out of my own strength, but to trust in His provision. When I fail to do this, I do not lead my family to trust in God more, but make them more dependent upon my own strength and effort. What happens then when my strength fails me and my efforts are disappointed? This happens often, because the curse follows me the same way it followed Adam out of the garden.
I am not the provider for my family. I am merely the steward of Gods provision for my family. It’s a trust issue. Men, we must never forget that we have need of a provider as well. In the same way that we find joy in being able to tell our family that they can trust in our ability to provide.
God finds joy in providing for us. The more successful a man is, the less likely he is to trust in God as his Provider. These men might be giants in business, but I am certain you will find their family spiritually starving.
A true Godly man provides for his family, but reminds them and himself of where those provisions came from. Remember to let God be your Provider. He asks us to cast our cares, our burdens, our finances, our emotions and ask Him to provide what nobody else can. Do not let the curse follow you home from work by thinking what you made that day will satisfy you in the deepest parts of your souls.