Getting and Giving

As we prepare to enter the week of Thanksgiving, we can be reminded of what God has provided for us: He has brought us salvation through His Son, and we can recognize the financial resources that He provides for us, as well. Romans 13 states:
7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

We have been called to be stewards of all that God has given to us - He is our provider, and we can trust Him to meet our needs...and to use us in order to help meet the needs of others, as well.  We can take our eyes off ourselves and put them on Him first, and then do as He directs, recognize the opportunities around us to serve Him by serving others. We can rejoice in the Lord as we see Him minister to others as we're yielded to Him.

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There is a passage in Proverbs that can inspire us with respect to setting priorities and honoring God - in Proverbs 3, we see these words:
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

When Rick and Melissa Hinnant met, they certainly didn't represent a sound financial template for a successful marriage.  According to CBN.com, "Melissa was in real estate. Rick had been living on credit cards, trying to start a number of businesses, and was $80,000 in debt."

But, Rick started from where he was financially to try to work his way out.  The article relates:

Rick admits, "I ended up knocking on people's doors to ask them could I mow their lawn, could I pick their weeds? Pretty humbling."

Before long, Rick's landscaping business took off, and the newly married couple started working their way out of the red. "I was doing everything possible to annihilate that debt and as quick as I could," Rick says.

All the while, the Hinnants were tithing. Rick explains, "God says, 'Test me' and I love the challenge, and so if God says, 'Test me', I'm going to sign up."

Melissa adds, "Even during our hardest financial times, we still always gave because I know if God is going to bless us, we have to be faithful to continue to give."

Rick added installing Christmas lights to his business, and things really took off.  Melissa turned her knitting hobby into an income source, as well.

All the while, the couple struggled with God's purposes for their financial resources. The article notes that...

...she was convinced that money was mainly a tool to help the needy. "If money can make me have more of a difference, then that's great, but I didn't need it," she explains.

Rick admits, "There was this civil war inside. Yes, I wanted to give more money, but did I want to make more money so I could have more material things? I simply asked God, 'Do I have money before you?' And what I heard was, 'Yes, you do.' I asked God to forgive me instantly. I told God, 'Whether I make a lot of money or not, I'm done striving.' Instead of 'What can I acquire? It became about 'How can I help the kingdom?' When I surrendered to God, my landscape company exploded."

The Hinnants decided to go on Shark Tank with Melissa's socks, which she had begun to sell online; after the program, they did a million dollars in sales overnight.  

The company is called Grace and Lace, and Rick and Melissa cite their faith in God as the reason for their financial success. Rick says, "We ended up with a $3 million year," adding, "It was like God saying, 'Look, I can do things that will blow your mind, like that.' And now, we've got goals of doing around 15 million this year. But I don't know that we would have seen the success that we have if we weren't giving, if we weren't tithing."

CBN and its outreach arm, Operation Blessing, have been beneficiaries of God's blessing on the Hinnants. The article also notes that:

Today, Rick and Melissa have three children and choose to live way below their means so they can help the poor. They've already built 13 orphanages and a Freedom House in India.

The article says, "For those who want true financial freedom, the Hinnants suggest living to give, not get." Rick says, "I would challenge anyone out there to put God first...Where you are giving, you are blessing, you are helping, and you are changing the world for the good."  Melissa states, "God isn't looking for people who are like, 'Give me, give me, give me!' Everyone has to start somewhere, and it doesn't have to be big. It comes from the simple place of, 'God, I want your will done in my life.' You might be going through a hard financial time, but God still wants your purity of heart in giving."

Want to be great the Kingdom of God?  Come to Jesus as a little child.  Humble yourself before the Lord.  If you're selfishly trying to "get," you will get what you deserve.  If you're selflessly trying to "give," you will see the hand of God.   

We can also recognize that God honors those who dedicate their lives to doing His will.  Rick Hinnant was deeply in debt, but he took a first step and started going door-to-door, asking people if he could do yard work. He wanted to be an entrepreneur, it seems, but things didn't work out. He surrendered his plans and decided to get in conformity with God's will.  What a wonderful example of humility!  And, a reminder that things may not go how we plan, but we can seek to get in sync with His plan.