Guest Post by Jessie Synan
How Can I Find Hope Before the Financial Breakthrough?
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10, NIV)
This post is straight from a journal entry I wrote a while back about waiting for a financial breakthrough. I wanted to share it today so someone out there that is going through financial distress could see the inside thoughts from a person going through it as well.
Too often we are met with so many articles on how to get out of financial problems, but I wanted to share specifically on finding the hope in the midst of financial distress to let you know one thing: God will always show up. Just usually never the way we plan Him to.
As I sit here writing this, there are blots all over the page from the popcorn stains. Popcorn used to be a simple snack for me to eat when I wrote, but now popcorn is the only thing that is left in the pantry today.
Right now, as I’m chomping down on this popcorn, I am mad. I am so sick of hearing people and their financial breakthroughs. I’m sick of the “get rich quick” schemes, and I have had it with the prosperity gospel. I think people take Proverbs 3:9-10 to the wrong level, when they tell people that if you give just 10 percent to God, everything will be merry and dandy.
I’m done with pastors that are getting it wrong, proclaiming that I will get everything I hope and pray for, if I just tithe 10 percent.
Because let me tell you, I actually started tithing for the first time ever in the midst of (what I thought was) the worst times for us financially. I expected big things from God. I decided that my ways weren’t working, and I would finally surrender this last thing that I hadn’t surrendered yet: my financial situation. I would try it God’s way and see what would happen.
As I told my Bible study group this, they were all excited for me. They all prayed for me and supported me. But what they didn’t know is that I was about to nearly lose everything.
When My Financial Breakthrough Didn’t Come
So we started tithing. We surrendered, and put all of our faith in God. And only two days later the unthinkable happened. I got an opportunity to leave a job that was sucking the life out of me, in exchange for my dream job.
It’s not that the place I worked was bad. It was that I was in a catch-22. I could not afford to put both kids in daycare, but there was no way I could afford to stay at home either.
Then, after only two days into tithing, I scored a job to be a full-time writer. My dreams were coming true. I could write whenever I could, and be with my kids whenever I could. I cried tears of happiness, and we thanked God. I put my little blog that I had at the time on hold, as I embarked on this journey.
When Dreams Crash and Hope is Lost
After that, what seemed to be an answered prayer, became what appeared like a curse. The day after I officially left my 9-5 job with some hope for a financial breakthrough, the person I worked for said she could only give me 20 hours a week. She kept promising me the hours would increase, but it never happened.
I was shell shocked. Here I was, doing the one thing that I never believed in before, tithing, and then I get hit with even more financial distress. Now I was stuck. It made it even worse that my husband was at a job that was terrible. Things had never looked so bleak.
So at that point, I had two options. The first option is that I could quit what I personally felt convicted to do. I felt God telling me repeatedly that this was my time to step forward and tithe, but I could walk away from that. Or I could rest in His Word. I could cling on to the hope that this was all part of His plan.
What I got wrong about Proverbs 3:9-10
We continued to tithe as things continually felt worse. I fell into the trap that many people fall into. I think that I focused too much on the part of Proverbs 3:9-10 that says “then your barns will be overflowing”.
When I started tithing, I thought that my actions would create an overflow in the “riches” I “needed”. For me, that wasn’t asking for a lot. I haven’t bought myself new clothes for seven years now. I survive with one pair of tennis shoes and one pair of Old Navy flip flops. I never wanted to be rich, I just wanted to be comfortable.
But is there actually such a thing as a comfortable Christian? I’m not saying that I am going to go my whole life without the things I need. I just mean that putting 10 percent first is a risky thing no matter what. What happens when I finally get the check I’m waiting for, and it’s just enough to cover rent? Do I still tithe then?
I went back to read Proverbs 3:9-10, and found this part: “and your vats will brim over with new wine.”
(Apparently a vat is a tub, I had to Google that one.)
God doesn’t want to give me a financial breakthrough by simply giving me what I think I need. God loves me too much to give me only what my imagination can hold. He has much better plans than that. He wants to give me new wine.
How I Found Hope Without the Financial Breakthrough
He literally wants me to put Him first 100 percent, and when I do that, He will make new wine overflow. He wants to give me better-than-expected, but this only happens if I give Him my all, because it gives Him the chance to do His work.
This means that I suddenly have to do things differently than the rest of the world does. I make decisions that may not make sense on the surface, even to me.
Why would I quit my job with so little security that everything would be okay? Why would I then leave that job to start my own business when everything and everyone was telling me not to? Why would we have my husband do the same thing, only months later, instead of waiting for a financially secure time to do so?
To anyone else, this may seem like financial suicide. It’s something I would never recommend to anyone unless God is calling them to do so. But I knew God was calling me to do it.
God called us to do that so we would get to a place but we had literally no other alternative but to trust Him. And so far, He is coming through every single time. Yet not once has He come through the way I expected Him to.
I could write a whole other journal entry about all the times God has come through during this waiting period of a financial breakthrough. But I know that from the very first time we tithed, to now, He has always met us.
The first time we tithed, we got three random checks within two weeks that equaled the amount we tithed- to the penny. It happened specifically after listening to a sermon about that same thing happening for someone else.
We had people randomly give us money on the most bizarre occasions, simply saying they felt called to do so.
Even as I am writing this down, we received the check we were finally waiting for. I can now go eat something rather than popcorn!
The Most Important Things I Learned From Waiting for My Financial Breakthrough
Being in the midst of the financial distress, I have discovered three concrete ideas that give me continual hope in God showing up.
1.Tithing is giving 10 percent of the money, but it creates a road for 100 percent surrender.
- I am in the middle of this story, but I know that He is making things new for me in ways I can never imagine. Giving 10 percent isn’t giving God something He needs. Neither is it a church scheme to get money. It is a way to take a huge part of life and completely give it to God. This isn’t me going on a pro-tithing rant. This is me on a put-God-first rant. I think I used to not tithe because I got caught up in the politics and worldly view of it. In reality, it is simply about putting God first, and letting Him show how things fall into place when we surrender.
2. “Going without” is such a worldly thing.
- I hear of people “going hungry” and never think of myself in that category. Maybe it is because I have family and friends that I know would feed me if I let go of my pride and admit the financial state we are in. But I have realized more recently that I will never go without, if I am united with God. This whole journey has made me realize what really matters and the greatness of God.
3. Sometimes we have battle scars so other people that already carry too many scars can find Him.
- I know eventually God has called me to write the whole story about it. I’m just in the middle of the story right now. I’m in the part of the novel with dramatic plot twists and hard times. How bad would a book be if there was no deep, dark part that made you think? You can’t cheer for someone’s success and find meaning in it, if everything was okay the whole time.
Prayer for Today:
Dear Lord,
Sometimes it is hard to know that things will be okay when we are in the middle of the mess. Please help me continually put you first, each time I give and each time I spend. Help me know that I am more than a conqueror through Your power. Remind me that if I give it all to you, it will make it more clear in all the quiet ways you answer prayers. Encourage me to use any pain and trial as a testimony to the greatness of your grace. Amen.
To view all of the topics in this series, check out our Stories of Hope page, and discover how others have chosen to live a life of hope, despite life’s greatest challenges!
Jessie is a come-back Christian that focuses on helping others come back to God even through doubts and hard questions about God. Her blog, One Lost Coin, focuses on how every one’s stories matter to God and how He is there no matter what type of questions we have.
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Praying that final prayer along with you and grateful for all the “quiet ways” God has shown up in my own story.
I will be praying that God continues to show up in those quiet ways ❤️
I love this post, Jessie. And not just because I’m a pastor’s wife. 🙂 But because I’m a believer who has walked through a similar journey about tithing and finances and surrendering everything to God. When I realized how everything I have came directly from the Lord (James 1:17), and how none of it actually belonged to me, tithing and surrender of my finances became the only right thing to do…an act of obedience and love and worship for God Almighty! This is a powerful thought, “…I have to do things differently than the rest of the world does. I make decisions that may not make sense on the surface, even to me.”
Thanks for this powerful testimony!
Thank you for such kind words. It must be so hard for pastors to talk about this because it can seem like an ulterior motive. Hoping this is just the beginning of conversations of what tithing can actually do.
I love this! My husband and I have walked a similar path and God ALWAY provides. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad to hear that, it’s so encouraging to know other people have had this walk.
We’ve been in that place of financial distress, needing God’s mighty hand to move in miraculous ways so many times. He is faithful. I look back on each of those excruciating seasons with fondness because of the richness we gleaned in Christ. He demonstrated His power and faithfulness in unforgettable ways and I wouldn’t trade them for all the meals and clothing I desire. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your story, Jessie.
Thank you for your words and explaining this time of life so beautifully. I’m trying so hard to live in the moment because I know if I don’t I’ll look back at this time with nothing but regret. Pain has to have a purpose, right?
I love this reminder that it’s really all about surrender. It’s not about giving 10% or getting back even more. It’s the surrendering our hearts when we give that 10% and trusting God with 100%.
I never knew the riches giving 100% would provide!
What a great reminder for us all and it’s really all about surrendering to God ‘s will and what he is calling us to do. He only wants us to trust him to be enough. I have learned Jessie that when God places something on my heart to do that may not make sense to me…I can rest assured that God does and he placed it on my heart for a reason. I have been the receiver and giver on helping others and it’s a blessing. Glad you got what you needed when you needed it the most. Great Post
You have been such a huge part of this story, thank you for writing your inspirational words!
I also am fervently opposed to the “prosperity gospel”. Surrender to God is good, but it does not guarantee you financial bounty or even security. Glad you got what you needed when everything looked bleak.
Exactly! I thought tithing = prosperity gospel growing up so I stayed far away from it. It was amazing to learn that tithing doesn’t magically solve my problems, it helps me prioritize my solutions.
This holds so much encouragement for many facets of life. Thank you. laurensparks.net
I’m glad it’s able to help!
Jessie, this resonates with me! My husband and I have been waiting for an answer for the final appeal for his disability. It’s been over 4yrs and after the last appeal he has actually taken a turn for the worse health wise but at this stage you can’t add any new diagnosis or findings. I am only able to work part-time because of my chronic illnesses as well. You have stirred my heart in the area of getting more consistent with my tithing again. I need to just be fully committed and not waiver. I don’t know why I try to justify it but I simply do. Thank you for sharing. I needed this very powerful reminder!
Wow, your story is so powerful. I will be praying daily for the process you and your husband are a part of. There is something terrifying and eerily calming about taking this step. Never hesitate to reach out if you need anything.
This can be a hard truth to accept, but so freeing when we finally get it: “God loves me too much to give me only what my imagination can hold. He has much better plans than that.”
It’s so easy in hindsight but so hard going through it!!
Wow, Jessie. Thank you for sharing your story. I am sure it will touch many. I love how you say something to the effect of yes we need to tithe 10% but it really is about surrendering 100%. Everything we do for the Lord has to do with our heart. So we can go through the motion of what the Bible says, but if we aren’t doing it with a pure and clean heart, then what’s the point? I’m glad the Lord has been providing for your family in unexpected ways during this season of life. I will be praying for you and can’t wait for you some day to tell the rest of this story once it fully unravels.
Hi Jessie! Thank you for sharing your story and wisdom, especially being in the middle of the story right now. I’m in the middle of a different kind of story and your words and prayer greatly encouraged me. Thank you!
Jessie – I loved your post. Thank you for writing it in the middle of your story. My favorite part was, “Tithing is giving 10 percent of the money, but it creates a road for 100 percent surrender.” Yes, it is about surrender.
I too am in the midst of a different story, but I hesitated at first to speak and write about it because it didn’t have a miraculous ending. Then I began to realize I had more to say in the middle of it than when it is done.
I am sending prayers for you and your family right now.
Blessings, Maree
Its URGENT Please remember my family in your daily Prayers:
Good day to you all, I comes to you in Jesus name: my name is Munawar James I belong with a Christian family and I am from Pakistan, please do Prayer for poverty and bad financial circumstance of my family, that Jesus Christ do a Great Miracle for me today and the bonds of poverty break out from my family, because by the poverty and badly financial crises we are to feel very shame in our area, by the corona virus I lost my job and now I have no job, no money and no source of income. Please for God sake do a Miracle Prayer for me and my family.
Thank you. God Bless all of you
And if any son / daughter of God want to do help us, please send your love gifts for us and please contact with me at my this email address:
munawar-james@hotmail.com / 0092-344-5728200
(In Jesus Christ your brother)
Munawar James / Pakistan
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