FINANCES
True Abundant Living
By Dory Nissen
700 Club Producer
Whether you make $30,000 or
$300, 000, the question is the same. How quickly will you fall into financial ruin if you lose your job? John and Angela Griffin realized it could happen quickly, if they didn’t not make some serious changes.
“When you are making it, you spend it! We were not saving, we were spending, spending, and spending,” John said.
John and Angela Griffin marched down the aisle in a storybook wedding right into a story book lifestyle. Both were business executives and made plenty of money. They could afford payments on a huge house, take elaborate vacations, and basically buy anything they wanted — and they did.
“It seemed like the more money we made, the more stuff we got,” John said. “We opened up our equity line and bought our stuff on that. Our whole life revolved around our stuff.”
The “stuff” kept coming, and even though they could afford the payments, the reality was the debt kept mounting. John realized it was a dangerous road to travel.
”If I had lost my job we would have been in trouble,” John said. ”We could have made it a couple of months, but we would have been in a mess.”
But the Griffins learned a significant lesson when God used a sermon to get Angela’s attention.
"…We were married to our things, and we were not being good stewards with the money we had. He really spoke to my heart about selling the house and selling the stuff in the house and freeing ourselves from the debt that was associated with it,” Angela said.
"She said, ‘John, who are we serving? Are we honoring God, or are we honoring our stuff?’ It took me a few months with praying, but I said ‘OK, let it go,’” said John.
John says God told them to sell their luxury possessions and cars, to minimize their debt, and to get their hearts focused on serving Him. For Angela, that meant learning to follow God’s word and tithe on her income, like John had done for years on his.
“It was a real problem for me to watch him stroke a check and stick it in the offering plate when it could have gone to our bank account,” Angela said.
But Angela felt God was telling her step out on faith. So when she opened 1st Christian Realty she decided to do something 'out of character' for her. She told John she would donate 10 percent of the commission of every sale to the church of the client’s choice.
The business took off! The sales from the brand new real estate business far exceeded her expectations!
And as God proved faithful to bless her obedience, he began to change Angela’s motive for tithing too.
"It really didn’t change my heart until I made a few closes to [different] churches," Angela said. “It was at the point that I put a letter in the mail and I said 'Mr. and Mrs. so and so goes to your church and I’m sending this in their behalf' — it was when I started giving that 10 percent that I became a cheerful giver.”
As they saw God continue to bless them financially, the Griffins decided to give much more than 10 percent. Today, they live in a less extravagant house, are saving and spending wisely, and make more than they ever have. They’ve learned God’s promise is true.
John said, “When we go over and above our tithe, we say, ok God, you’ve blessed us with this but we are going one step further. That’s when we are blessed! And if I could encourage anyone, I say it’s not just giving 10 percent and seeding it to your church, but to go over and above, that’s where God blesses you in your abundance.”
Just as God provided a financial breakthrough to John and Angela when they were obedient to His word, He can do the same for you. One way you can give is to partner with CBN. You’ll be making a difference in lives the world over, proving food to the hungry, fresh water wells to those in need, humanitarian aid, medical outreaches, and so much more -- and all in the name of Jesus. Please join with us today.
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