The TRUTH About Money + Christian Money Mindset!

It’s time to have this talk, Lola. It’s been a long time coming… I’m ripping the band-aid off and doing a TELL ALL. For the first time ever, we are going to have an open, honest, vulnerable conversation about…. Christian Money Mindset!

Aka: M.O.N.E.Y.

The good. The bad. The biblical. The TRUTH.

In today’s juicy episode I will share my thoughts on MONEY. Worldly vs. biblical and why we put so much value on money. I go into the reality of money as Christians and how we can re-frame our money stories based on what God wants for us.

I also share my OLD money story, my NO money story, and my NOW money story. So, I hope God blesses you with fresh perspective.

The TRUTH About Money + Christian Money Mindset! Part 2

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION PART 1:

(00:00):

Hey, Lola, how are you, SIS? I can’t wait to talk to you today. We’re just going to have a really candid blatant, like no frills rip the bandaid off kind of conversation about money, about wealth, about getting the cheddar baby. Yes, I’m so excited to talk to you guys about this because I think making money when you’re not a Christian is like super accepted.

(00:31):

If you’re, you know, in the new age, it’s like, you just call money in, you manifest it, baby. It just comes to me. It comes to me like rain and you know, it’s like, why is it that versus when you look at Christian entrepreneurs and kingdom entrepreneurs, money gets all kinds of weird. And I just want to really talk to you guys about that today because there is a right and wrong mindset for money.

(00:58):

There is a biblical and a worldly view of making money. I think there is a, there’s a greed that can creep in there’s idolatry. When we look at money, wealth financial prosperity, like all of that. And I just want to really dig into it with you because I think that you deserve to hear this from a Christian coach, Jaime, who is making a large profit. Why?

(01:29):

I think that it’s okay. Why? I think that it is God sent how I know that how I differentiate between worldly wealth and biblical and God sent wealth. And then what the heck to do with all of this information and kind of six questions that I think you can ask yourself about your money story. So dig in, get a notebook and pen. Then this is going to get juicy.

(02:03):

So the first thing we’re going to start with is maybe some of the reasons why Christians have weirdness around money, not even Christians. Let’s first talk about why human beings have weirdness around money.

(02:59):

I think when we look at our upbringing, when we look at our childhood, we’re able to see some of our parents’ money stories coming to life now embedded inside of us, because what, what you see you internalize and what you’re told you believe at a young age, and why wouldn’t we, why wouldn’t we believe the things that we are taught?

(03:18):

Why wouldn’t we watch what our parents do and say, and then, and then do it, what they do in St. Like we are innocent impressionable minds, and we don’t always have parents that have a sound money mindset, and that comes from their childhood and their childhood, right?

(03:33):

Like generational beliefs are embedded decades and centuries before they ever reach us. Well, when we look at our money story, as kids, sometimes our parents didn’t grow up with much. And so they have a lack mindset, a fear-based mindset, a never enough mindset around money, which transpires to us, which we bring forward with us.

(03:57):

Sometimes let’s say your parents had a ton of money and they ignored you. And they worked all the time. So you have this connotation, that money equals abandonment. That’s what you’re carrying with. You. Maybe you had a mean uncle and he had all the money.

(04:11):

And so you associate money with evil or darkness or anger or whatever. Maybe you had money and then all your money was gone. And then your parents got divorced. And so you associate money and money going away or, being taken from you as a break or as a heartache, or as tearing apart a family.

(04:33):

There’s so much of the stories that we, the worldly stories that we tell ourselves that are all tied to this piece of paper, or now this digital number that we have in our bank accounts.

(04:49):

And it’s just really interesting when we look back at that and we recognize and realize that the only reason money plays such a heavy role in society is because we tie worthiness love. It’s a unit of happiness. Yes. It’s a unit of joy. It’s even a unit of love and attention.

(05:12):

We tie all of these different components of life to money, and we give it this worth that it actually doesn’t have it. Shouldn’t have it. Shouldn’t carry and bear the weight of worthiness of love, of meaning, of purpose, of, of more of after fluence. Is that how you say that word? You know what I’m saying? Right. Like power money is literally just a means of exchange here.

(05:46):

We’re on planet earth for hi, here is this money, whether it be paper or digital in exchange for a needs in exchange for needs and things that we want to do, whether it be a want or a need or a desire or a physical thing, it’s a means of exchange and money. If you look back money used to be, let’s say cows or grain or fruit that was then exchanged for what meat or weaponry or goods, physical goods, things of that nature.

(06:20):

And as money evolved and became paper, currency, and gold and silver and things that could be traded, the more you had, the more power that you had, the more power, because you could buy more stuff at the end of the day, that’s it, right. When you have more money, you can buy more stuff.

(06:41):

You can initially like that’s where my brain goes of. Like, well, when I have more money, I can have a bigger house. It’s a bigger car. I can travel more like all the way, worldly things that equal joy, happiness, and success are tied to this concept of more, more money Mo money, baby. All right.

(07:04):

However, so, so that’s like what money typically would mean. Okay. But here’s where it gets a little crazy as we dig into money. What we realize is if it’s simply a means of exchange, it actually has no power at all.

(07:23):

And if every means of exchange, if everything on planet earth, if our homes, our lives, our food, our clothes, our money minds, if every single Adam on planet earth is from God, then it’s from God. It’s not ours anyway. Right?

(07:42):

And so even if you accumulate all of this money, all of the paper, all of the digital currency, whatever, if it’s from God, God can take it away as fast as he gives it. So it actually has zero power, zero power and money. Doesn’t equal worthiness, success, happiness, none of those things, because it’s just a means of exchange.

(08:06):

So to put value, to put so much worth into a thing that equals idolatry, okay, that equals you worshiping some thing that is a earthly product, an earthly item and not turning away from him, all the tangible things, the physical things, including money to find your worthiness, purpose, happiness for fullness in Christ.

(08:33):

So the first thing that I want to talk to you, I said all of that, that’s just foundationally like some groundwork for what we’re going to get into today. So what I first want to bring up as a couple of verses that that could be those of you that feel that money is bad, evil, dark, and it can be, and we’re going to talk about why it can be. Absolutely.

(08:54):

And it’s kind of back to what I was saying about if money is an idol, if money holds a worth for you, if money is associated to hard times in your life, you’re going to put a stamp on the concept of money in your mind that says, no bad, stay away. Dark don’t actually want it, or I need it. Have to have it must have it more like you’re going one of, one of two ways.

(09:21):

And there’s a very slim percentage of people that I think have a biblical money mindset, which we’ll also talk about today. So first, why do we perceive money as bad? And if we look in the Bible at some of the verses, when I type money into my Bible app, here’s what comes up for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

(09:45):

And some people craving money have wandered from the truth through faith. That’s first Timothy six, 10 don’t lie, have money, be satisfied with what you have for God has said, I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. Hebrews 13, five don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them.

(10:06):

And where thieves break in and steal Matthew six, 19 store your treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves do not break in and steal Matthew six 20, wherever your heart is or sorry, wherever your treasure is there.

(10:20):

The desires of your heart will also be Matthew six 21, I mean, on and on and on and on. So here, here’s what, I’m what we take from the Bible. When I type in the literal word money, we get warnings. We get, we get warnings. We get signs from Christ that is trying to open our eyes and enlighten us to the fact that the love of money is evil.

(10:51):

Money in and of itself is not evil. It’s like, it’s a dollar. Like here’s my dollar. I would like my bubble gum. Okay. Like you guys it’s, that is literally what it is. Okay. There’s no power, nothing. You don’t, it’s not magic. It’s not going to change how you feel about yourself, how you love others. It’s not going to change your worthiness. Sorry. And I’m going to tell you about why money equals worthiness for me for many, many, many years.

(11:14):

All right. The love of money is the root of evil. Why? Because Satan uses tangible goods here on earth to distract us from what true peacefulness and purpose and prosperity actually means. He’s distracting us with the love of money, allowing it to become an idol that we believe has the power to change. Our lives has the power to make a difference. Has the, all of that. Like we are.

(11:46):

So hyper-focused on the fact that we think money will transform everything that we fallen away from the true Waymaker the true person who will transform our lives, which is Jesus Christ. What else? Don’t store up treasures here on earth story, your treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy. This brings me to the concept of when we die and we will all die. We don’t, tomorrow is not promised sisters. We die with nothing.

(12:17):

We die with our spirit. We die with what we’ve done. Our good works here on earth. The the books that God has written about us up in heaven, and we go to heaven and we leave every earthly possession here on earth. We leave loved ones, clothing, our home, our 401k.

(12:39):

We leave our, everything, our podcast, our businesses, all of it, because all of it is worldly, except souls, spirit, your spirit, your soul, and the souls of other humans. That is the only thing that we can take with us to have. And the only thing we can impact, we can’t impact. We can’t take with us the battles that we won, the political battle that we won. We can’t take with us the multi-billion dollar business. So, we leave it here because it’s of the world.

(13:14):

So we have to store up our treasures, our real true wealth in heaven. And what is real true wealth? Real true wealth is the goodness we do for other people. The impact. We make the moments with our children, teaching them, being patient with them, stewarding them.

(13:33):

The time that we lay all the idols down, we turn off social media and we rest and we pour into other people and we take time that we don’t have for people in need. We show up for others in a way that’s uncomfortable for us. We give freely of our resources, our time, our hearts. Those are the stores that God is talking about, that we store up in heaven.

(14:01):

That is where our treasure is. And that is where our heart will lie. Where ever your treasure is there. The desires of your heart will also, how many of you maybe get some money? And then you hoard that money and you save it and you keep it. And you, you, you hide it away and you watch it grow.

(14:21):

And you’re so almost obsessive about the fact that you have to keep all of this money because it could be gone or you don’t have any power without it. You don’t have any stability. Any safety that money brings you safety money can be gone overnight.

(14:39):

And it has been for me. And I will tell you that safety never came from money. It only came through Christ because he always makes sure that we are safe. So I’ve talked a lot about maybe why money, why we think money is bad and why money actually can be bad because it can become an idol.

(14:58):

So let’s first talk about my old money. We’re going to go through three phases of my life. Number one, my old money story. What, why I thought the way that I did and what power that I thought money had over me, number two, we’re going to go through my no money story. I had a no money story for a hot minute, and then we’re going to go through my now money story. Okay.

(15:22):

So let’s start with my old money story. Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money. My dad grew up very, very, I don’t even know the right word to call this. They just didn’t have any money at all. Okay. There was like lots and lots of kids in a two bedroom home. They also slept in bunk beds and everywhere. My, my grandpa worked, my grandma stayed home with them.

(15:47):

And every dollar, you know, was sacred because they didn’t have money. They just didn’t have it like living through the great depression and my grandfather being in the Wars and just all of that gave them a fear of lack of money. And that created, you know, this desire to, in order to have stability and to have no fear in your life, you must have money. So then money hard work then. Okay.

(16:14):

So then hard work equals worthiness and, and love. And this has nothing to say negatively about my parents or my dad specifically with the way that he was raised. It’s just what it is. And our parents’ money stories is not a fault of their own, but, but here’s the beauty. Is that anything that was done to you? The beliefs that you have now can be undone. They can be unwritten as you learn.

(16:40):

And you see a wise friend once told me once you see, you can never unsee. We have the power to rewrite any money story. That was pre-written in our book because that’s not a book that’s for us. Okay. So that’s the great news. Anyways, when we look back, that was the money story. It was work really, really hard and achieve because then you’ll have money which then equals success and it then equals safety and it then equals happy life ideally.

(17:08):

And so then from my mom’s upbringing, she as well they didn’t have money. There was a whole lot of children again, and my mom was the one raising the kids. And I’m sure that she hold held a lot of grief, frustration, resentment towards those money stories, because when the parents were working, she was taking care of children, her siblings. And so then again, you know, you’ve got to work really hard because you cannot be in that situation.

(17:38):

So everything led to my belief of money equals everything, success, happiness, validation, love a life well lived. And in order to get money, I must what achieve. So that’s my old money story. So what did I do? I worked like a crazy person. I always, and this is from like 24 on. So working super hard, never ending all night achievement get the, get the promotions and then later get the rank advancements, make all the money.

(18:17):

And then finally, when I broke, you know, six figures in my, by 26, and then I broke six figures again, when I got into network marketing at 28, I’m like, yes, I did it. This is what it’s worth. But for some reason it still wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough. So it was like more because it could be gone, right? It could leave me. Then I would be unhappy.

(18:39):

And, and the enemy Satan literally used money as a idol and a distractor for me to pull me away from the actual purpose and the actual things of meaning the stores and heaven that God had planned for me, Satan was saying, but money, but money, but money, Stefanie work harder, do more hustle, show up, ignore that over there.

(19:05):

That doesn’t matter. Money equals everything and Satan, the little whispers that he so carefully orchestrates in your ear and the distractions that he places in front of you feel so real. So tangible that you are so terrified to break away, even though in your heart of hearts, in your gut, in your soul.

(19:28):

You know, something’s not right. As I, you know, ignored my child to take phone calls. As I worked early in the morning, instead of spending time with God as I was on my phone, on my engagement vacation trip, as I took, like, it’s disgusting, but I don’t.

(19:51):

I now I now don’t blame myself anymore because I know that the enemy was working so hard to keep me from this very moment. Satan was using money as a lie. Satan is a liar. His entire plan is to steal, kill, and destroy, and he uses money to do it, which is what the Bible is. Warning us of money is not bad.

(20:15):

It’s the way that Satan uses it to Laura, us, to doing evil, literally to idolatry, to, to, to us, not looking to Christ for love, worthiness, purpose, and all of that, and looking to money for it instead, or achievement or the to-do list or the rank or the promotion, or the certain number in your bank account because sisters I’ve had it. And I still felt the need for more of it. So what did I do? I tried to get more of it.

(20:52):

I worked even harder. I dabbled in manifesting. Like, I would sit there in my car and go, okay. I made a hundred K. Now I’m going to go to 200 K you know, like I can see it. Money is flowing into my bank account. I see $200,000. I would do quick meditations where I would look up and channel the white random light and see money falling down all over me.

(21:17):

Hilarious. It’s hilarious. It truly is hilarious because money from the world is money handed to you from Satan. And that money comes with a very, very heavy cost. That money comes with destruction, darkness tearing apart of families, marriages destruction of your brain, your mental health, so that you rely on other things to get you through the day.

(21:48):

It it’s a very dark space that just like the momentum of it. And Satan just takes it and goes, aha, I got you like, yeah, I know this is getting deep, but I really need you guys to stay with me.

(22:02):

So I did all of that in my old money story, but here’s the funny thing. I was so grateful that God stepped in. You know, I know that God has always had a plan for me, and he has a big plan for me and it’s audacious. And it’s really scary at times to be, you know, to raise your hand and be like, I’m going from call to chose. And like, here we go, because being chosen is not always pretty in the worldly perspective.

(22:27):

Like my inheritance is in heaven. It may not be here on earth. And right now my life is extraordinarily fruitful. We’re going to talk about that in a little bit, but it’s not always, probably going to be that way. I know that, and I’m okay with it because I choose to have my inheritance in heaven for all of eternity instead of a very short-lived inheritance here on earth in the flash that our earthly lives are.

(22:53):

And that’s what I choose. And so Satan could have continued to string me along, giving me more and more and more money taking more and more of my life, my sanity, my mental health, my relationships tearing them apart. I could have ultimately what gotten divorced, but risen, risen higher and higher and higher, and gotten to the very top and become a multimillionaire in my network, marketing business or whatever your business the business was.

(23:16):

I was in it wouldn’t have mattered you know, stolen my relationships with my children, but I would have had money and accomplishment. I would have had it all. And I would have looked around and found myself alone, alone on the stage alone in my tears alone in my heartbreak alone in my pain, but with money. Yay, thank God. Praise you.

(23:47):

Jesus, praise you so grateful. God stepped in and he ripped away the earthly success quote, unquote, that Satan freely gave. And I don’t even know it was probably, this is where it gets weird. Like, is it God-given? Is it Satan? Get like whatever the money that I had allowed Satan to use for his good let’s say it that way, because money’s just a means of exchange.

(24:11):

There was no power in it, but Satan uses these things, little simple things like social media, like money, like more your weight, the way that you see yourself flirting, that then turns into cheating. That then turns into a divorce. Like he uses little simple, very seemingly innocent things to steal, kill, and destroy.

(24:36):

So God, thank God I was saved. And in my gut I’m like something isn’t really right. And thank God he stepped in and he broke the plans that Satan had over my life and my money was gone, which then turns into my no money story. Dun dun, dun.

(24:59):

Oh, that’s so fun. Okay. So when my network marketing business crashed an I was left with like, from very high income months to really know, Oh, income months, no income for like six months or so. And the cashflow was gone. Like we still had our home. We still had our assets, but like the actual money that you pay for those assets was gone. We had a big loan that we had to defer.

(25:30):

My husband had to sell his Harley Davidson. You guys have heard me talk about this, but it’s, doesn’t make it easier. Like it’s still rough man. Sell his prize Harley just to pay the bills. I had to borrow money from my son miles savings account at one point, like it was a hard six months. At the same time, I have a newborn I’m 60 pounds overweight. I’m having anxiety attacks.

(25:51):

And my entire worthiness that I thought was achievement and success was revealed to me again, praise God. Like he knows. He knows our hearts more than we know our hearts.

(26:05):

And God knew that I needed some discipline. One of my favorite verses of this year, every two guys is Hebrews 12, 11, all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful yet to those who have been trained by it afterwards, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

(26:26):

Amen. I was sorry, Ching and seeking like, Oh my gosh. Well, if money wasn’t worthiness and happiness, cause it never really brought it to me. And here I sit here, I sit in my empty, broken miss in my anxiety here. I sit in my unworthiness. I sit, am I not? Enoughness in my comparisonitis and my lack of all alone, no money, no money, sad, lost all of it.

(26:54):

Well, here’s the beauty of what God knows. God knows what you don’t know. He is the future he’s omnipresent. And, He knew that one day I would sit behind this microphone and share that story with you. God knew that one day I would find what true fruit of the spirit really truly meant. He knew that I would see what money was, and He knew that I would see the devil’s plans that I would, I would become aware.

(27:23):

I would never unsee what he revealed to me. And he said, she can walk through this Valley of darkness. She can walk through it and I will bring her to the light. He knew me more than I knew me more than I know me. And he knew I needed this season of no money because the idolatry of money in my life was revealed.

(27:45):

It was Oh, having all of that success, money recognition. It didn’t do anything for me. I’m still sitting here wallowing in my own self-induced misery. I didn’t turn to Christ when I, when I, but I didn’t know. And this is how he teaches us. He so beautifully orchestrates these moments of maybe hard heartache pain in our lives or uses them.

(28:11):

Not that he necessarily orchestrated this, but he used it to bring me back to him, to bring my heart back to Christ and to what really was where I was rock bottom at this point. So I turned to him and I said, you know, father heal me, show me if it wasn’t pain.

(28:34):

If it wasn’t money, worthiness success, the education, the certain money in my bank, account number, whatever, what is it? And he whispered daughter it’s me. And, and we’re totally ending there for today.

(28:53):

You’re going to have to join me on Thursday for part two of this episode. As I finish up my money story, and walk you through my now money story. And finally give you a few things that you can work on when it comes to your own money story and partnering with God in having a Christian money mindset, a biblical money mindset.

(29:16):

So exciting. All right, so I’ll meet you guys back here real soon, father, God, I pray over each and every one of these women of these listeners, I pray that you just lift them up, help them to recognize and realize that their treasures, their abundance, it all comes from you. And when they work with you, they begin to uncover the treasure and the gifts, favorite provision and blessings that only you have in store for them.

(29:46):

And I just pray that you do a work in their hearts, minds, and spirits through this episode and through the scriptures that you bring to them and through the works, the good works that they are doing, that you reward them for that father. We love you. We trust you and in Jesus’ name, amen love and God’s light. Stef.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION PART 2:

(00:00)
Hey girl. Hey, what’s up. I am so excited to be back and bringing you more truth. When it comes to money, show me the money, honey. We’re going to be finishing up my no money story and going into my now money story and how what differences I really see in my business now that God is in charge of my finances and the God-sized dreams versus the old Stef-sized dreams and how mine pale in comparison to His. Super excited to get into that with you.

(00:36)
I just wanted to invite you to check out working together. There are three ways that we can work together, Sis, and I want to see where you’re at so that I can meet you right there. Step one, you don’t know what you want to do. You’re like help me get clarity. Somebody help a sister out. No worries. What’s up. I’m a clarity coach and that is absolutely my jam. I really feel that I can help you fine tune what you’re here to do. What your thing is.

(01:12)
If that’s you had to clarifyyourcallingcourse.com. Now, step two, you are clear on what you’re supposed to do, but you’re super tired of spinning your wheels. You’re so over showing up on social media, 24 seven, and you’re ready to grow a big organic, authentic audience using your voice. Enter podcasting. Y’all know, podcasting is the absolute catalyst to my business. It’s how all of you find me, trust me, end up working with me. It’s this show. This show is my funnel. There is no other funnel. I don’t have fancy emails. I don’t spend money on advertising. It’s just me. Hi, what’s up. My microphone. My PJ’s right now and pouring into you.

(01:55)
If you are ready to do that, I can help you get there. Head to podcastprouniversity.com. Now, finally, those of you who have a show and have clarity, but you want to go all in. You want to have my exact business model, you want to take your show to new heights. Also, you want to rank in your category and you want to monetize using courses and or coaching. Then I would recommend you join me in my next 90 day mastermind Podcast to Profit and you can enroll and apply early. I would highly recommend applying right now. We only have 20 spots for that program.

(02:30)
So you can apply at podcasttoprofitmastermind.com. All right, let’s get to work girls. Wrap up the no money story. Basically at this point, I had been searching and seeking, 2016 Father God, help me help myself. No money left. I was totally panicking, you guys, doing all the wrong things. I was making t-shirts on Amazon merch, which I made $3 a shirt in profit. So that’s kind of hilarious. Also, I really stink at graphics. So that’s just really funny. I was looking at getting another job. I was trying to do all the wrong things because I was focused on how do I make money when we’re in a state of panic and the money isn’t there.

(04:06)
We often turn to quick and easy, get rich quick. What we used to do, what we know we could do instead of what God is calling us to do, because we don’t trust Him. We are only trusting money. We think that money is the answer. And so we chase it and which is exactly what I did. And it took an entire year to get my life together, basically, after trying all these different things and still finding myself in the same position, I got out a sheet of paper and I was like, this is the moment. I’m fully, fully, fully surrendering.

(04:37)
You guys may have heard me talk about this before. It was the infamous piece of paper writing the woman that God called me to be on a sheet of paper, changed everything. So I wrote in the paper, what he wanted me to be. And nowhere on that paper, was it like six figures or multi-millionaire. God wanted me to be intentional with my time, an amazing mama to my sweet angels, a good wife, steward my home well, take care of my body, get my health back, get rid of my anxiety.

(05:06)
He wanted me to not drink so much if at all, He wanted me to take care of myself and then He wanted me to serve women with what I knew at the time, which was really like battling that fear mindset, taking massive action and online marketing. That’s really the stuff that I really knew. So I wrote that stuff on a sheet of paper and I’m like, let’s get it. And like right around that same time had this really deep transformation in my spirituality. I really had like that second baptism that like baptism in the Holy spirit where it just like deepened within me.

(05:44)
And I began searching and seeking for deeper spiritual growth and partnering with God at a whole different capacity. And through that journey, along with being really true to the woman that I had written on the paper just day by day, every day, intentionally, what would this chick do on this piece of paper? Like, she’d go to the gym today. She would show up on a live, even though it was messy, she would, you know, figure this stuff out. She would just start, even though it’s really awkward and it wasn’t clear, like it was not clear.

(06:15)
There was no clarity of what I was doing. I didn’t have a brand name. I didn’t know anything, but show up and talk about online marketing business or something to do with balancing motherhood, boundaries, this type of stuff. So I started to do it and that was roughly mid 2016. And what’s crazy is everything started to align. Everything started to explode for me and then in 2018. So I did that rock and roll for about a year and it was great. I was starting to grow again an audience and it felt good. It felt really, really like aligned with who God wanted me to be.

(06:54)
I had really great boundaries and I know that God was really carefully, carefully orchestrating the breakthrough, right? The success breakthrough, because I wouldn’t have been able to handle it in 2017. I was still healing from a lot of the network marketing trauma, no shade to network marketing, you know, but just the industry has a lot that they put on you and the idols that I had broken down and just, I had a lot of inner work to do before I could experience the financial fruits that I know He has in store for all of you. And He had in store for me.

(07:28)
So I was kind of just spinning my wheels a bit. I was always on social. I was trying to figure out, am I YouTube? Or am I a blogger? Like, what am I doing? And I kept praying over it and asking God to reveal to me the thing, like, what is the thing? How am I supposed to serve these women? What am I supposed to be doing to serve them? He spoke to me in a dream in 2018 and it said, start a podcast. And so once I did that and not to go too deep into my story, cause I really want to get back to money, but I need to walk you through the what’s like what happened once I sat down behind that crackly old Amazon mic, 20 bucks pulled it out, plugged it in.

(08:04)
I’m like, uh, hi, let’s do this. You know, I didn’t really know what I was going to talk about, but I was really partnered with Holy spirit in the podcast. And I just allowed that to start to work through me. And I started to let go of what I wanted for my business. So in 2018, that was really that moment where, because I trusted God to give me an answer. And I waited for that answer. Sometimes the answers don’t come quickly. They come in perfect timing.

(08:31)
I think that He rewards us when we’re obedient. And so here’s what I did. Number one, I asked God what He wanted for my business. This is what changed it. Wasn’t Stefanie, what do you want for your business? How do you make the most money right now? How do you go get a job again? It was, what does God want me to do in my business? I took it to Him. And then number two, I surrendered the answer, surrendered. It was like, whatever comes back, I’m here for it. And I will let you know that that happens a little bit more easily when you have nothing to lose. So in 2016, 2017, you know, I didn’t have anything to lose.

(09:12)
The business had already crumbled beneath me. I was 60 pounds overweight with a newborn trying to show up on a live feeling really self-conscious, having anxiety attacks, like I was a mess. And so at that point it was almost like anything God would have said to me, I’m like, I’m here for it. Like just give me some semblance of direction and let me begin to walk in it. So I completely surrendered my path, which was number two. And then number three, I started, I just started, I didn’t know the hows. I didn’t know what to say.

(09:44)
I didn’t know what made sense, nothing made sense. I didn’t know how it would make money. That’s the biggest piece of what I want to say right now, as we get into my now money story, I did not know how it was going to make money. How was this podcast going to make me any money? I had no clue. All I know is that God asked me to do it. And He asked me to serve women in online business to teach them, to empower them, to coach them, to mentor them, to show them there was this way that they could do this while still being authentic to motherhood, still being there for their kids, still having boundaries in their lives.

(10:16)
And I was still walking it. So it was kind of hard like, well, God, you know, I’m still figuring it out. Like I’m still figuring out this social media idolatry. Like I’m still showing up everywhere. I’m not even making that great of money yet. And it was like, daughter go. And so I started and what happened from 2018 to now? 2021? Let me see. 18, 19, 20. That’s like three years plus some. Okay.

(10:44)
It’s really hard to put into words. God just blessed my purpose beyond my mental capacity. I can’t explain to you, my friend asked the other day, like, what does it feel like to be sitting at that level of success and have that size of a podcast and have as many women as you serve and have 35 recurring clients and have these passive courses that are 50% of your revenue? Like, what does it actually feel like when you make it?

(11:17)
You know, and it’s so funny because from her perspective, you know, like I’ve made it, but you have to remember that your woman is always two steps behind you. And so I told her the absolute truth and the truth is it’s not even mine. Like none of this is me. I didn’t do any of this. Like I showed up for it and I was obedient to it and I opened my mouth and I did the hard work and I strategized, but all of the directions came from God, all of the inspiration, all the ideas, like everything comes from Him.

(11:53)
And when I would get that, I would just be like, okay, like let’s do it. And I didn’t always know how it was going to work out. I fumbled my way forward. Sometimes it was me instead of God, and those products didn’t really work, but I tried my best and I showed up for it. I continued to try to hear from Him the path that He wanted. When I did that and I showed up for it and I was super obedient and I gave my all, and I didn’t look up, I didn’t allow the world to tell me what was right or wrong.

(12:21)
I didn’t allow myself to change who I was because somebody else was showing up differently. I decided to not get distracted from the woman on the paper, and I decided to commit to one thing for a full year.

(12:33)
I said, I will podcast for one full year and then I’ll look up. And what happened is beyond my humanly belief, I can’t believe it like we have paid off 80 something thousand in debt in the past 12 months. We’re doing really incredible things for my church. We are tithing, we’re taking trips that we’ve always wanted to take. He’s sending me the clients. Like they are handpicked by God for me. And He sends them directly to me. And the second we got on that call, I’m like, I know that they were hand picked and it’s so beautiful to be able to serve these women with something that I’ve just already walked.

(13:20)
It’s like, how on earth is this my job? You know? And I feel like I’m an outsider watching a movie, like what is actually happening now? I will say that I’m not tied to any of this. I keep financial prosperity. If you want to call it that or favor at an arm’s length money, actual money and financial wealth at an arms length, because I know that that is not mine anyway. So I’m going to steward it as best I can. I’m going to get out of debt with it. I’m going to serve others with it. And I’m going to know that it’s God’s to do what He wants with it.

(14:04)
So that is a big money mindset shift that this year, this last year really brought me was when you go next level in your finances, not to get cocky, not to get arrogant, not to hoard that money, not to get super tied to that money, not to let your old or no money story creep back in because that’s when that money will hurt you, right? When you idolize it, when you think that it equals worth, when you think that it equals status or reputation, or when you use it for purposes that are not for the kingdom. And I think you can, you and God get to decide what that money is for.

(14:50)
Like how we’re going to travel with it. We’re going to Disney World this year and it’s going to be amazing. And we are buying my husband the shop that he’s wanted for 10 years. And so sure we are buying things that are material, but at the same time, we are giving like a lot. We are paying debt. We are being mindful of this money and we are stewarding it well. And I think the difference between what old Stefanie would have done and new Stefanie would have done is the old Stefanie. I would have used that money as a success crutch.

(15:22)
I would have used it as a flaunting mechanism to get more business. And now I will. I talk about it to a degree to you guys, but the purpose of me talking about it to you is to show you to truly show you that when you stop doing all the things and you stop chasing the overnight success and you start partnering with Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit and the vision that God has for your business, because your purpose, your calling, it can become your actual work here on earth, your business, you can get paid for the things that you are passionate about. And I’m also here to show you.

(16:07)
God is just using me as an example to show you guys that favor is not just financial. Favor is slowing down in a business so that He can provide, you don’t need to work for the money you need to show up for the purpose. You need to show up for the good works that He is asking you to do, and let Him provide through that to trust that whatever that number is that he provides is exactly, exactly right. It’s exactly right. It’s always right. God’s plans are 100% of the time, bigger and better than mine. And I’ll tell you something else.

(16:50)
Me chasing overnight success, me trying and trying and spinning my wheels and getting distracted and going, Oh, it’s Instagram. It’s reels, it’s Facebook, YouTube. It’s blogging. Oh, it’s Tik TOK. It’s Twitter like me doing that for years and years and years, and years and years took longer. My overnight success, right? That I was shooting for it that took longer because I continued to start over and get distracted and get defeated and feel the comparison and beat myself up. But then to start over again, took so much longer than the what, three years, two years, if we’re being honest, two years that it took God to rework my business into something God-sized.

(17:37)
Used the skills, the strengths, the calling that I have to fine tune them all and use them for His good. And when He used them for His good, and I just showed up for it, with everything that I had, but keeping my boundaries in place, keeping my mindset and my mother had in my marriage a priority over my business, not falling victim to the lies of the industry, not falling victim to the world who told me that success equals validation or worthiness, but saying, no, God equals success and validation and favor and fruitfulness.

(18:13)
If He says, I deserve this income, because He asked me to create this product. Okay, I’m so here for that, that there’s no shame in that there’s no judgment or condemnation in getting rewarded for your obedience for stepping into your purpose and your calling. And this is not prosperity. I’m not here telling you that when you step into the purpose, you’re going to make half a million dollars or be a millionaire. I am telling you though, that good works and obedience is always rewarded. Now, how will your rewards come? I don’t know, sister. My rewards came in patient parenting. My rewards came in a healthy body, freedom from anxiety.

(18:58)
See God crushed that crushed that stronghold in my life in a stronger marriage, more open communication with my spouse, God-sent friendships, mentors, and coaches who he handpicked for me to grow me, to train me, to help me to guide me. Also, it showed up in a home that feels heavenly in a way that feels like the most beautiful, incredible, surreal place to work every single day. And, it shows up in financial prosperity.

(19:31)
And it’s so cool to know that this time I did it God’s way. This time by me leaning into what God was asking me to do, He showed up in such a capacity that there was no doubt whose hand it was, who created the success. I will say that my ego, my plans, they all had to die before God’s plans could be born because I was blocking it for way too long. I was blocking what He had in store for me. Now it’s fine because we all grow and learn.

(20:10)
But the sooner I would have laid down the worries and the stress and the focus on figuring it all out on overnight success, that when I would have stopped looking up at all of the different hundreds of ways that you could do this and make money and, and just lay down the madness and picked up one method and stayed, committed, and true in the direction that God had asked me to go. Instead of the direction that I thought would make the most money, I would have gotten here so much faster.

(20:42)
And it would have felt this level of peacefulness so much sooner. And just sitting in that peacefulness in your life is everything. I want to read you two verses. One is Luke 1:45. Blessed is she who has believed that believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her. Blessed is she, do you know another word for blessed is favor, right? So you would be, you are highly favored. Is she blessed? Is she who has believed, believed is trust and faith that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her. And throughout scripture, we see promises that God is trying to work through us, trying to work in us, trying to further us, trying to guide us, trying to mentor us, trying to keep us safe, trying to provide for us.

(21:34)
And if we just believe have faith and trust, we will in turn, be blessed and favored. So beautiful. And then this one, for those of you maybe thinking, I don’t know, like, could this really be true? Could this really be for me? Could this really be everything that Stefanie is saying, how do I let go? How do I surrender? How do I step into this? I want to bring you Proverbs 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick. But desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. If your life feels troubled, hard, strained, full of anxiety, you’re having mental health issues. You’re feeling struggles, hardships the money isn’t there.

(22:25)
You just feel like you’re sitting in a pile of broken pieces. I encourage you to open your heart and open your mouth and begin to pray to God. The savior of all saviors, the light, the way, the way maker, the answer to all of your prayers. The great I am. The only one who can show you the way and ask Him to place that desire, His desire inside of your heart so that you can begin to take action on it because desire fulfilled, your desire partnered with God’s plans for your life is a tree of life, a tree of life. And the tree of life is where everything, everything good begins to prosper.

(23:12)
Your roots begin to grow into a beautiful garden, a blossoming garden with beautiful branches with the sun and living water surrounding you. And you become a tree of life. You, your good works, your impact, your life. Imagine just for a minute, if you felt like you were constantly sitting in a space of peace, fulfillment, and favor, whatever that favor might be, that God has in store for you, whether it be changes in your heart, changes in your mindset, your family, your health, your finances.

(23:45)
I promise you, His plans are better than yours. So I’m going to leave you guys there. And I just want to give you just a quick tip to walk away with, for my now money story. What did I do? Quick recap. Number one, I had to surrender my way. My plans for God’s plans. Number two, I had to ask God what He wanted for my business. I had to invite Him in. I had to pray over it. Number three, I had to wait and trust. I had to wait and trust for an answer, which I didn’t hear it immediately, but I still number four showed up in messy action. I still started to move my feet, to speak, and to show up, even though I wasn’t sure.

(24:28)
And number five, I didn’t look up. I stopped looking at what everyone else was doing and only did what God was calling me to do. And then number six, I stewarded the success and the favor. Well, as well as I could, by inviting God in to help me grow, manage, and discern how to handle that success or that provision. And then number seven, I stayed super obedient, super obedient to anything and everything that Holy Spirit was prompting me to say, prompting me to do. I was willing. I was willing to just show up for God instead of myself.

(25:11)
So those are the seven things that I would encourage you to inventory in your own money story and your own life. Maybe begin to take action on. I know, I know, I know it’s hard, but if you can just trust in Him, then you will, you will find the way. When you find the way you find the light, when you find the light, you live in just a different level of peacefulness and it’s great. It’s so fun. I can’t even, I can’t even explain it. It’s so cool. So I want that for you guys. So that’s why I thought I would share this with you. And I hope that it resonated.

(25:46)
I hope that something hit you from these two episodes, Mondays and today’s. And I pray that if something did impact your heart, that you would take 30 seconds to come share it with me. You guys have no idea how special it is to me. When I get a voice memo from you or a quick note in Instagram or through email saying that something changed for you because of this show. And it just brings me such joy, and I would be so grateful and I totally want to meet you. So that would be such a blessing in my life.

(26:18)
Let me pray over you and I’ll let you guys go and get to your weekend. Father, God, I pray over all of these incredible, incredible, incredible women that you have led to my community. I pray that you give me the discernment, the heart, the focus, the inspiration, and the confidence to continue leading them, to have God centered businesses, to show up for you and what you have in their lives, and then to steward it well and bring it to the world so that they can create kingdom impact.

(26:49)
I pray that you pave the way for them, open the doors for them, pour through them, whatever their calling and purpose work is and allow them to begin to show up in that with God sized confidence, with focus and with heart, because they can lean on you knowing that you will give them the words. You will give them the mindset. You will give them the belief to show up for it, with everything that they aren’t, but everything that you are because you are all that we need. I have faith. I have trust. And we are so, so here for your plans, God, over our plans. Thank you. We love you Father. In Jesus’ name, Amen.