Breaking Free from the Prison of Debt

Jerry and Rebecca Kosko, from Apple Valley, California have a comfortable life filled with fun and family. However, life wasn’t always so good. As a second marriage for both, they each brought two kids into the union. The family expenses quickly piled up and credit cards seemed like the best solution.

Fifteen years into their marriage, Jerry and Rebecca found themselves over seventy thousand dollars in debt. Jerry says about debt, “You’re on this hamster wheel. You just go, okay, what else can I do to backfill that hole that I’ve created? I would work a second job on the weekend but the more you, you, you work, the, the, it seems like you'd try to break even or get the even. And it was, it was pretty tough. If I double the payment or triple the payment, it was still gonna take, you know, 10, 15, 20 years to pay this, uh, this balance off.” Rebecca recalls, “The amount of debt was growing and it was seeming overwhelming to how much we really could pay off.”

As Christians, Jerry and Rebecca knew that giving to the church should be a part of their budget however, it usually came after the bills…if at all. Rebecca says, “It was more of an afterthought that if there was money left over, then we probably should do that.” And Jerry recalls, “With the mounting debt, that was being accrued and acquired, you didn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. And it, it created a lot of stress and a lot of, uh, anxiety.” Knowing God wanted them to be free from financial stress, Jerry and Rebecca enrolled in a financial course at their church in 2003. Jerry says, “We were hoping to find some of those nuggets, if you will, or keys to freeing ourself from that, you know, the bonds of being in debt.”

One key they learned was to put God first and tithe before paying anything else. Rebecca says, “It's a trust factor, it's obedience, it's faith, it's all of those things bound up together to know that, okay, I don't have to worry about this. I do my part and then God does the rest.” So, they made tithing first a priority. Right away the Koskos started to see their money go further and soon they were paying extra towards their debt. Rebecca recalls, “The money did materialize and sometimes again, we just had no idea how or why it materialized, but it did.”

Over the next few years they even increased their giving as they saw God’s faithfulness carry them through tough economic times. Jerry says, “It seemed like the more we’d give, the more the Lord would bless.” The Koskos were able to pay off their debt and along the way, they also helped other family members with financial issues. Today, they are semi-retired, yet giving more than they did when they both were working full time. Rebecca says, “It doesn't make sense that we were able to give more being in the retired state than we ever did before when we were making these larger professional wages. It doesn't make sense with any of that, but it still is how God provided.”

Over the years Jerry and Rebecca have enjoyed The 700 Club and in 2018 they became 700 Club partners, excited to see their money go towards helping people in need. Rebecca says, “When there's a disaster and we see the response that CBN has or the opportunity to partner with him financially with that, um, it immediately stirs in my heart. We’re there helping. It's the arms and hands of Christ reaching out in a way that I can't reach.” Jerry says, “It's hard to comprehend, but the more you trust in the Lord, the more you experience His love and blessings.” Rebecca encourages others, “Tithing has always been a challenge because again, it doesn't make sense. Just trust and do it.”