Are You Depressed about Finances?
CBN.com Danny and Jessica Smith are your typical easygoing, couple. They love the water; playing with their daughter Lucy; and most of all, they love giving. Well, at least now they do, but previously, it was a completely different story.
“It was just nonsense to me to think that you just give your money away,” remembers Danny. “It’s not something I was taught. Growing up we didn’t have a lot. My dad lost his job during the recession in the 1980’s and I think that that fed over to me because as I became an adult, I freaked out more about money.”
And he had good reason to be ‘freaked out'. Danny had a wife and young child to take care of, and he could barely pay the bills. He worked on commission for a security company and sales were so low that he often owed the company money.
“He would go into a depression. He would completely shut down,” says Jessica. “At first I was like, 'What’s wrong' and he would just shut off. I realized it was about money and I said, ‘You have to trust that God was going to take care of us.’ ”
That’s where The 700 Club came in. Jessica was a faithful viewer and often encouraged her Danny to watch too. Together they listened to Gordon Robertson teach about giving.
In his teaching Gordon said, "The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first in your life.”
After watching The 700 Club, Danny was inspired.
“I prayed about it too,” says Danny. “I had to learn to relinquish, to give up control over my life and hand over everything. Once you do that and do that 100 percent, then a weight’s been lifted off your shoulder.”
The Smiths became 700 Club partners. And around that same time they took a step of faith and started their own business installing home entertainment systems. They say God blessed their business almost immediately.
Says Danny, “Our business started to grow and we started to give more, and our business started to grow with it.”
Within months of becoming CBN partners, they increased their giving from $20 a month to $100 a week.
“From there we started really seeing our business snowball and start to pick up,” Danny explains.
Last year when the recession hit and business slowed down, Danny continues, “We were giving every week. I dropped it down to every other week and Jessica almost slapped me upside the head and said, ‘You can’t do that. You need to honor your commitment and keep giving what you said you would give.’ She was right. And as I started to give consistently again, a job that was pending for three months now just closed.”
Today Danny and Jessica’s business has turned into three nationwide companies. And as they reflect on God’s goodness, they credit their success to one thing.
“I attribute it to God continuing to bless us. He’s been faithful to us because we’ve been faithful to Him,” Danny beams.
Danny and Jessica saw the rewards of applying the law of reciprocity—"Give and it shall be given to you"—by giving to CBN. Here is your chance to give to the Lord and see your dollars bring truth to hurting people; feed and clothe needy children; keep The 700 Club Prayer Counseling Center phone lines operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and provide medical care to those who need a tangible touch of God's love. Become a CBN partner today!
"And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." – NLT
