Steps Towards Financial Freedom - Kerry Stevens

Seven credit cards (mostly maxed out), a home mortgage larger than the property’s value, two rental properties that were losing money on a weekly basis, a husband - who earned an excellent wage, but was in the hospital about to have major heart surgery and a bank account that appeared to lose money as fast as it went in. Family life has enough pressures in itself, but living paycheck to paycheck was making things unbearable. This wasn’t the vision for our lives that God had given us. How did we get here?

There has always been a desire in my heart to love and give beyond myself. I remember when Dave and I were first dating,  we would sit in my tired little Ford Fiesta at night sharing dreams of the future and what life might become. We talked and dreamed about having children, maybe two and then fostering or adopting other children. But what no one told us was that children come at a cost. I wish we had learned back then what we are learning and living now; good vision needs sound practical and financial skills to keep it alive and flourishing. Even though I have worked in the finance industry for the majority of my life, money (or more accurately debt) was a raging monster that was wreaking havoc in our lives.

Having a dream is great. Chasing the vision that you know God has given you is awesome. But funding it with a credit card that doesn’t get paid off each month does not have the true resonance of a faith-filled life. 

There was no real plan, except looking for a “get rich quick” scheme or the latest property investment program that was guaranteed to change our destiny which left us with two rental properties just as the housing boom died and the last financial collapse hit. We were hearing the constant message that “God will provide”, but a piece was missing. He never seemed to provide enough to get us out of the hole we were digging ourselves into daily.

The problem was our interpretation of the message. Of course God would provide, His Word says it - but “God will provide” can often be interpreted as “someone else will fix it – so why should we change?”

So there we were, a living oxymoron of sorts: Bible-believing, faithful Christians who had tithed all their lives, with a deep and foreboding sense of hopelessness. 

God does provide. It’s not through winning the heavenly lotto, but by taking us on a journey of growth and revelation. I clearly remember at Kingdomcity Conference 2016 in Perth, Banning Liebscher praying for all those seeking financial health. He said “God is going to give you the strategies and tools to move you out of this place”. This prayer meant that we had a responsibility to do some hard work. The heavy lifting to apply the tools and carry out the strategic plan was on us. In our case, it was “you want financial freedom – have you taken control of your spending?”

It was in the middle of 2017 that we started walking God’s planned strategy, a slow journey that has required humility and trust.

We were given a book to read called “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey. He’s a God-fearing man who more-so believed that debt was, well, quite dumb. He dived into the scriptures and presented that God's plan was for us to be good stewards with His money, and showed us some practical steps to take to reach financial freedom.

The tools we learnt were so practical it is almost what our grandmother would have done before the world of credit cards and Afterpay. These baby steps towards financial freedom were so simple when we looked at them. But they also forced us to look at the source of the problem – ourselves. Our modern society mentality says “If I want it but I don’t have the money today, that’s okay, I deserve it - I am worth it and I’ve earned it.” It’s this mentality that leads us into giving into debt; that we deal with for weeks, months or even years after a moment of guilty pleasure.

One of the first steps suggested in the journey to financial freedom was what my Nana would have referred to as a “rainy day fund.” This means saving $1000 dollars in a place where you can get it, but also far enough away so as to not be tempting. Life is full of  unexpected twists and turns, but when our car’s clutch needed changing earlier this year, we did not need a credit card or a loan. We used our “emergency fund,” which we built back up over the following pay cycles. We had never been able to successfully save money before, but I have to say the peace that came from having that small amount saved away for emergencies was amazing. 

Secondly, we learned to build and stick to a budget. In today’s world, it may be deemed as an old-fashioned word, but it simply means planning ahead of time where every dollar is going to be spent. This is easier said than done. As a couple, making sure that you’re on the same page in regards to finances can be very stressful. It’s essential that both of you build the budget together, before one of you is sticking to the page and the other is off in fairyland (or Ebay-land). A weekly finance meeting is a must - even if you are single! This is a journey that should be walked with someone who will hold you to your word. A budget also means I can spend – if it’s in the budget. If it’s in the budget, I have permission – it actually brings about the freedom to spend.

Being honest, it is tough - but we are doing it. We are paying off our debts, smallest to biggest, like a snowball - gaining momentum with every debt we pay off. But it’s the personal issues, not feeding our needs, that is the biggest monster to kill. It’s hard to grow up and restrict ourselves sometimes; but if it’s not in the budget, no matter how new, or shiny it is, we have to say no.

I highly recommend the Kingdomcity Financial Stewardship equipping series by Pastor Mark Varughese, where he explains the Biblical principles of putting God first in every aspect of our finances. It will set you up for winning with your money - giving you hope for the future.

Right now, there is now a deep sense of hope in our hearts. We know that we can do this with God’s help and we will continue to trust Him. We know that as we continue to trust Him, that in a few years’ time we will have the ability to bless others abundantly, and give generously - because we won't be burdened with the weight of debt. Our goal right now is to pay our mortgage off 15 years sooner than it should be – that sounds crazy doesn’t it? But it is possible.

We are so encouraged and excited by the peace that this has brought in to our lives that we now hold courses in our home to share these strategies with others and see them take control of their behaviours and move towards freedom in their finances. 

God is calling us. He is calling us to His Shalom, His deep abiding peace. He is calling us to bring His reality to our world - and this most definitely means in our finances, our spending, our giving. And we can only truly be free to do this as we live free from the shackles of debt.

Written by Kerry Stevens

Kerry is on team at Kingdomcity in Perth. She is married to Dave and together they have 6 children.