Building a Strong Marriage When Your Spouse Is Always at Work
By Vivian Bricker
“Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:9).
When I was a child, my mother was working 24/7. As a medical transcriptionist, she was a contract worker, meaning she was paid on a production basis. Rather than being paid a salary or an hourly rate, she was paid per line. As a contract worker now, I can see how much stress my mom was under to provide for our family. Due to the ever-present demands of work, she didn’t have much time for family life.
As one could imagine, this impacted her marriage. Anyone married to someone who works all the time knows the strain it can place on their marriage. For one, it is heartbreaking to see your spouse so stressed at work, and secondly, it is painful not to have much time with them. In our present day, it is very common for more workers to have flexible schedules. Therefore, couples need to take advantage of this opportunity.
If your spouse is a contract worker and has to work according to the assignments sent to them, try to schedule date nights and time with them around this timeframe. For instance, if it is common for your spouse not to work on Mondays, plan a special date night for Monday. While it might be strange to turn Monday into a date night, it can become a special tradition for you and your spouse. Even if your spouse works 12-hour shifts, try to schedule time together on days they are off.
You and your spouse’s marriage does not have to suffer just because of your work schedules. For marriages to be strong, both the husband and the wife must be intentional. Whether you are the spouse who is always at work or the spouse who is always waiting for their spouse to return from work, try to be intentional in your marriage. If you know your husband won’t be home until 10 p.m., try to stay up a little later so you can both catch up on the day before bed.
In the same way, if your wife has to leave early to get to work by 6 a.m., try to plan something special for when she gets back. You know your spouse better than anyone. Try to come up with a few ideas to help them feel loved, cherished, and cared for. Just because they are at work all the time doesn’t mean your marriage won’t be strong. Utilize the time you have together, communicate with each other, and deepen your marriage by being there for each other.
Our Bible verse today comes from the Gospel of Mark, “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (10:9). These are the words of Jesus, and what He has told us here is something we need to keep at the front of our minds. God has brought you and your spouse together. What He has joined together, nobody should separate. This includes your or your spouse’s hectic work schedule.
Choose to apply the Lord’s words in your life today. This can be done by building a strong marriage upon the foundation of Jesus. Be honest, open, and loving of one another. Don’t allow anything to infringe on your marriage. If work starts to negatively impact your marriage to the point that it is on the rocks, it might be time to think about changing shifts or professions. Our work is important to us, but it is not more important than our spouse.
When we enter the covenant of marriage with our spouse, we promise to love them always and to be faithful to them. With this knowledge in our hearts, we need to always choose our spouse over work. Our job is our profession, but our spouse is the love of our life. Turn to God today and seek out His support. If you are unsure about anything, He will be able to direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6).
“Dear God, my spouse is always at work, and I fear it is causing our marriage to suffer. Despite my spouse being always at work, please help us build a strong marriage upon You. I want our marriage to bring You glory. Ensure nothing separates us. In Your Son’s Name, I pray, Amen.”
Photo Credit: GettyImages/gorodenkoff
Related Resource: Why Couples Drift and How to Reverse It
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Originally published Thursday, 02 July 2026.
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