The Thing That Really Pleases God

From a young age, Christie Reed was taught the importance of tithing. 

“I knew my parents were doing it, so it became an example for me,” she recalls. “When I received my allowance, I would give my $1 for my offering. It was an exciting thing for me.”

However, by the time Christie reached college and began earning her own money, she drifted away from God and stopped tithing. After graduating, she accepted a city government job that paid very little. Financial pressure quickly mounted.

“Things became very, very tight financially,” Christie said. “It was almost like your pockets had holes in them. As soon as you got money, it was completely gone.”

By the age of 22, Christie was deeply in debt from student loans, credit cards, and a car loan. She had just enough money to cover her bills, and sometimes not even enough for food. Desperate and overwhelmed, she decided to pray.

“I was very upset and said, ‘Lord, I don’t have enough food to last me until I get paid again,’” she shared. “I sat and prayed and asked the Lord to do something.”

Within 15 minutes of that prayer, there was a knock at her door. Standing there was a woman Christie had never met before.

“She said, ‘I just wanted to make sure you were home,’” Christie recalled. “Then she said she’d be right back. She returned with a box full of food. I was floored. It didn’t make any sense, but all I knew was that God heard me—and that was enough for me.”

That moment marked a turning point. Christie recommitted her life to God and made tithing a priority once again.

Within a year, she witnessed a dramatic change. While working in accounting, she received a $21,000 raise. “When I tell you things snowballed in such a profound way, it was unreal,” she said. “It was absolutely mind-blowing how God showed up for me.”

Christie later started a consulting business on the side and was able to pay off $30,000 of debt she had accumulated since college. Soon after, she found herself giving beyond her tithe.

“I just started giving whenever God put someone in my path,” she said. 

“I couldn’t give fast enough for the way God was replenishing what He was giving back to me.”

When her pastor suffered a heart attack and was unable to work, the church collected a special offering. Despite uncertainty about her own finances, Christie felt compelled to give—and once again, God met her needs.

“I don’t see how the ends are going to meet by the end of the week or the month,” she explained. “But I’m going to give anyway. God is moved by our faith—by us believing what He said, even when we can’t see it yet.”

Today, Christie continues her career as an accountant, earning more than 200% of what she made when she first began tithing. She remains committed to giving faithfully and encourages others to trust God in the same way.

“God makes sure everything is taken care of,” she said. “Everything in my life is sufficient. I surrender my budget and everything else to Him. I still have a framework to work with, but at the end of the day, God supersedes it all—and He has blessed me because of it.”
 

“Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” Will you partner with CBN and help plant generously around the world? Your generous giving brings hope to the hopeless and the truth of God’s Word to millions around the world through our humanitarian efforts. Become a CBN partner today and share the love of Christ.