In January 2021, I came across a sermon series from Transformation Church called Expect Effect. In a nutshell, the series highlighted the importance of expecting God to move and the significance of an extremely popular scripture: Ephesians 3:20. After watching this series, I had two big revelations about Ephesians 3:20. The first being that God is able to do above all that I ask or think, so I needed to believe and expect big. Second, He is able to do this based on the power that is at work within me, so I needed to increase my power.
It wasn’t long after I finished this sermon series that I decided to get bold with God. I asked Him for debt freedom - to pay my car and mortgage in full. At the time, I was still living in my Cincinnati home, so my mortgage was significantly less than it is now. Still - debt is debt. Shortly after this, in February 2021, I was in a situation where I was stressed about something minor but also kind of major. It was my hair, okay? I had a photo shoot coming up, and the hairstyle I planned was… not. Period. (It was really, really bad, tbh). I only had a few days to find a solution, so my options were limited. I needed a fix, and I needed it quickly.
I decided to play one of my favorite games: “If money were no object, what would you do?”
Disclaimer: I love to play this game because it gets me out of my head a little bit and removes limitations that could potentially lead to viable solutions.
When I take finances out of the picture, I can come up with all possible solutions. Then, I filter those solutions based on feasibility and the facts of the situation (available money, time, resources, etc.). After I asked myself this question, the answer came almost immediately (shoutout to Holy Spirit!). But my first thought was, dang, I don’t want to pay for that. It was going to be less than $250, but money is money. At the same time, if there was one thing I wasn’t trying to do, it was waste money on this photo shoot because I wasn’t confident in my appearance. This solution was the only option I came up with that would resolve my issue and leave me feeling good about my photoshoot. Ya girl was stressed! Then God spoke to me so clearly. “If you’re believing for debt freedom (hundreds of thousands of dollars), why are you stressed about this (a couple of hundred dollars)?” I literally had no answer.
I prayed and asked Him if spending the extra couple hundred dollars was alright, and He, of course, confirmed. I went through with the purchase, and it was one of the best decisions I could’ve made. I felt great during my photo shoot, got some bomb pictures, and was able to step out on faith and believe God. The sky didn’t fall, I didn’t go bankrupt, and I didn’t even miss the money when it was all said and done. Shortly after this event, I got the word to move to Texas. Spending a couple of hundred dollars on an unplanned hair expense was minuscule compared to moving your entire life across the country.
At the beginning of June 2021, I sold my first home and packed up my entire life for Texas (read more on that here). The sale price of my house not only paid for the whole mortgage balance, but I had more than enough left to pay off my car. I was so excited to live a debt-free life! God ultimately led me into a new home in Texas, so I used the extra money as a down payment for the new house and didn’t end up being fully debt free after all. However, for the two months that I was “in-between homes,” I got to experience a taste of being debt-free, and let me tell you…financial freedom is THAT GIRL. I gave the friends I stayed with some rent money and still had my car payment, but I was free of a mortgage and utilities for two months. I was able to sow whenever and however without thinking twice and fulfill my dream of getting high-quality home furniture & decor for my new house. Those two months, regardless of how stressful and low-key ghetto they were, allowed me to experience a glimpse of my answered prayer. They also tested me to see if I would actually do what I said I would do if I ever had financial freedom - be a good steward, save money, and sow into ministries whenever led. I can confidently say that I did all three and am ready to do it again.
I am still believing for complete debt freedom concerning my car and new home, and I know the Lord has heard my prayers. Since that hair incident at the beginning of 2021, I have had several instances where I’m having a “moment” about my finances, and the Lord has asked me, “If you’re believing for this (debt freedom), why are you worried about that (significantly smaller amount)?” And I still never have an answer. I do my best to be a good steward of my funds, continuously sow seeds into good ground, and balance my wants with my needs. I understand that all of this is preparation for my expansion into financial freedom.
Call me crazy, call me delusional, call me whatever you want.
But I stand firmly on Deuteronomy 28:12 and the words God has spoken to me in the Secret Place. I can’t wait to update you all when that mortgage loan and car balance say $0!
If you get anything from this blog, please don’t let it be that you run around spending all your money and acting crazy. That is NOT the vibe. Let it be that you steward what you have well and stand in faith for what you are believing God to do. Take all your decisions to Him first and glean His wisdom for you. Sometimes God will call you to do something that doesn’t quite make sense (like moving across the country with nothing but an instruction from Him) just to see if you’ll trust Him and do it. God is not a genie; He doesn’t always give us things just because we want them. He is, however, a good father and faithful to His covenant with us. I believe that Deuteronomy 28:1-14 is accessible to all His children if we follow His instruction.
Have you ever stood on a promise from God, even when it didn’t make sense? Has your promise come to pass? Share your story in the comments!
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