Be a Fearless Provider
Elizabeth
Nine years ago   Elizabeth  was struggling to get by as a divorced mother of three.
 Elizabeth  remembers  “Fear was not being able to provide for them and not being able to meet their needs.”
The income  she  received from child support and  her  full-time job wasn’t enough to pay for the basics. So  Elizabeth  began using credit cards to buy groceries  clothes and to pay  her  bills. Before long   she  was $9 000 in debt.
 Elizabeth  recalls  “I was constantly worried about how I was going to pay bills  how I was going to pay rent sometimes. How I was going to pay the electric bill.”
To make matter’s worse   Elizabeth ’s employer relocated  her . In doing so   her  living expenses doubled.
 Elizabeth  shares  “A lot of my prayers were just  ‘Just help me make it through to the next whenever.’”
Over the next four years   Elizabeth  lived paycheck to paycheck. Then  at the suggestion of a friend   she  started attending a new church. It was there  she  learned the importance of tithing.
 Elizabeth  says  “That was the first time I ever heard somebody say to  me  that like God owns 100% and He allows you to keep 90%. I knew  for a fact I was not living and doing what God's best was.”
That’s when  she  said  she  heard God speak to  her .
 Elizabeth  recalls  “It wasn't audible  but I just remember hearing God say  ‘You have to trust me. You just have to trust me.’”
The following Sunday   Elizabeth  began tithing at church.
 Elizabeth  shares  “I would like to say that suddenly I had this huge windfall and I made like a gazillion extra dollars. That did not happen. I had just enough. I had what I needed.”
During this time   she  also learned about the importance of having a budget and how to get out of debt.
 Elizabeth  says  “You pay God  you pay yourself  and then you pay all the other expenses. And so I 've actually started saving. Oh and the other really great thing about saving for Christmas and birthdays  is I don't put it on a credit card  right? And so I pay cash for everything  that's so great  I love it.”
 Elizabeth  started a new retail job with a 10% salary increase. And then over the next few months   she  received several bonus checks.
 Elizabeth  recalls  “I knew for sure that I was going to continue to tithe  no matter what. I just have seen God do some really amazing things  and just grow my faith in ways that probably would not have happened if I had not been faithful with what he had given me.”
Nine years ago   [TGT]was struggling to get by as a divorced mother of three.
 [TGT]remembers  “Fear was not being able to provide for [TGT] and not being able to meet [TGT] needs.”
The income  [TGT]  received from child support and  [TGT]  full-time job wasn’t enough to pay for the basics. So  [TGT]began using credit cards to buy groceries  clothes and to pay  [TGT]  bills. Before long   [TGT]  was $9 000 in debt.
 [TGT]recalls  “I was constantly worried about how I was going to pay bills  how I was going to pay rent sometimes. How I was going to pay the electric bill.”
To make matter’s worse   [TGT] ’s employer relocated  [TGT] . In doing so   [TGT]  living expenses doubled.
 [TGT]shares  “A lot of my prayers were just  ‘Just help me make it through to the next whenever.’”
Over the next four years   [TGT]lived paycheck to paycheck. Then  at the suggestion of a friend   [TGT]  started attending a new church. It was there  [TGT]  learned the importance of tithing.
 [TGT]says  “That was the first time I ever heard somebody say to  me  that like God owns 100% and He allows you to keep 90%. I knew  for a fact I was not living and doing what God's best was.”
That’s when  [TGT]  said  [TGT]  heard God speak to  [TGT] .
 [TGT]recalls  “It wasn't audible  but I just remember hearing God say  ‘You have to trust me. You just have to trust me.’”
The following Sunday   [TGT]began tithing at church.
 [TGT]shares  “I would like to say that suddenly I had this huge windfall and I made like a gazillion extra dollars. That did not happen. I had just enough. I had what I needed.”
During this time   [TGT]  also learned about the importance of having a budget and how to get out of debt.
 [TGT]says  “You pay God  you pay yourself  and then you pay all the other expenses. And so I 've actually started saving. Oh and the other really great thing about saving for Christmas and birthdays  is I don't put it on a credit card  right? And so I pay cash for everything  that's so great  I love it.”
 [TGT]started a new retail job with a 10% salary increase. And then over the next few months   [TGT]  received several bonus checks.
 [TGT]recalls  “I knew for sure that I was going to continue to tithe  no matter what. I just have seen God do some really amazing things  and just grow my faith in ways that probably would not have happened if I had not been faithful with what he had given me.”