Being There for Your Spouse After They Face Job Loss
By: Vivian Bricker
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12).
Facing a job loss is never pleasant. It can make us feel like failures. It is difficult for us to face a job loss of our own, yet it is even harder to see our spouse go through it. This is especially true if our spouse loved their job. It will also place a financial strain on our marriage, which can affect our marriage in very negative ways.
My dad lost his job before I was born, and my mom had to become the primary breadwinner from the start of their marriage. The financial strain this placed on their marriage continued throughout my mom's entire life. My dad started a new job as an author; however, he didn't make much money from this occupation. Royalties paid very little, and they only came in once or twice a year.
This resulted in my mother having to work multiple jobs just to pay the bills. As one could imagine, this made my mother extremely stressed and unhappy. It caused her to lash out and become more irritable than normal. While I understand my mom's frustration now, I didn't understand it back then. Rather than seeing my mom as an understanding and caring person, I viewed her as a stressed-out and angry individual.
This is why there needs to be mutual support between a husband and wife after one of them faces job loss. One spouse might have to pick up extra work; however, the unemployed spouse must also do all they can to find employment elsewhere. If you and your spouse were already struggling financially before their job loss, it is vital that you both talk things out and figure out where to go from here.
These next steps need to be prayed over and given over to God. Trust Him with His direction and follow where He leads. It could be God is calling your spouse to take time away from work, return to school, and get a new degree in a different field. After they finish their degree, they will be able to get a better job in a field they love. God has a way of going beyond our greatest hopes. Don't doubt Him.
Other times, your spouse may need to take on a side job until they can find a better-paying job. At these times, it is important to help your spouse know this job is only temporary. It is not permanent, and they won't have to stay in this job role forever. When they come home tired, exhausted, and irritable, be a source of support, kindness, and love to them.
Jobs are only one part of life. When your spouse is home from work, go out of your way to be there for them and help them feel loved. This is true if they haven't found a job yet, too. Be supportive, kind, and compassionate with your spouse. A job loss is a hard thing to face, and we don't need to make it worse by blaming them or making rude comments.
It is common to lose hope after a job loss, yet we can turn to the Lord. We can turn to the Lord as individuals and with our spouses and trust Him with the future. Jesus does not leave us without hope because there is everlasting and eternal hope where He is. Even if things might feel hopeless now, know that brighter days are in the future for you and your spouse.
The Apostle Paul tells us, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12). In this passage, we are commanded to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. All of these things are required after facing a job loss. Share this passage with your spouse to help them find comfort in it.
It would also be helpful to demonstrate it in your actions. Amidst the difficult times, we need to be joyful in our hope in Jesus, patient in our pain, and faithful in offering up prayers to the Lord. Once our spouse sees us being hopeful for the future, they will also begin to have hope. Jesus is there for all of us. He can help us make it through this time and emerge victorious on the other side.
"Dear Lord, my spouse has recently gone through a job loss. Please bless them with a heart of hope instead of discouragement. I understand this is a difficult time, but I trust that You have amazing plans for the future. As I'm helping my spouse during this time, please ensure I am loving, caring, and sympathetic in my words and actions rather than condescending. I ask all of this in Your Name, Amen."
Vivian Brickerloves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master's degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures.
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