The Law of Possession and the Checkbook

We’re discussing the Law of Possession, which is based on God’s plan for marriage in Genesis 2:24—“And they shall become one flesh.” A healthy marriage requires that a husband and wife take what they once managed individually and bring it into a true union.

When something is held onto outside the marriage, it causes serious problems.

L.C. and LaDonna came to me as a young couple. They were both sweet, God-fearing people, but there was already a wedge dividing their marriage. LaDonna’s father had died recently and given her an inheritance of $65,000.

When she told me this, L.C. looked at the floor. He was clearly uncomfortable. “When we received it,” LaDonna continued, “I knew I needed to submit to L.C. as the financial leader of our home, so I did.”

But then her voice broke and tears streamed down her face. “When we got the check from my father’s estate, L.C. spent half the money on a new truck for himself without even asking me what I thought.” He put the other half in investments—again, without any input from LaDonna.

She felt betrayed. She didn’t mind him getting a truck, and she knew they needed to invest some of the money. But she had also been hoping to use some of it to fix up the house and replace their old new furniture.

LaDonna never had the chance because L.C. never asked her opinion. He just took possession of the money as if it were his.

I explained to L.C. that the way he spent the inheritance money showed LaDonna that, first, he had taken complete possession of it for himself, and second, that he did not care about her opinions or desires—even though the money came from her father.

I also pointed out that, by denying LaDonna’s request to improve her home, he was saying, “I don’t really care about your world. I have my truck, and my world is doing great.”

L.C. was to lead the family, but he was not to be a dictator who could do whatever he pleased. Everything in their lives belonged to them both. When it came to finances, they needed to be partners in the decision-making process.

Many men are selfish in the way they misuse their position of authority, rather than leading for the benefit of all. Living as “one flesh” means a husband must use his authority not to rule for his personal comfort or gain, but to benefit both members of the relationship

More divorces result from financial disagreements than anything else. L.C. and LaDonna worked it out, but only after they realized that finances must be owned, managed, and discussed as a union, not separately.

Living as “one flesh” applies to every aspect of the marriage, including the checkbook.