I recently was blessed to hear a businessman and his wife speak at a conference put on by a non-profit who support the persecuted church. The woman, who is a well-known speaker, teacher, mentor, I am leaving anonymous as the information she shared was amongst a small group in a private setting.
BUT WHAT SHE SAID WAS TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE!! (Picture me leaning over the table… yelling that in a tiny “yell voice”…)
Together they shared their story and testimony of how they came to give far beyond their 10%, hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to the mission field and to the persecuted church.
When they began as Christians, the wife, being a financial guru & numbers girl, budgeted every penny, while her husband had a gift of giving from the Lord. Ha! What a pair!
Each time he wanted to increase in their giving, she put up a fight. He would hear from the Lord, he would speak to his wife… she would resist, and only after prayer, she would reluctantly agree, and negotiate to an “appropriate” amount.
This went on year after year, until the last time. Her husband came to her and told her “The Lord wants me to increase our giving”…. Once again, she threw a real fit. She went to the word and began to pray, and the Lord spoke this to her: (ATTENTION: THIS IS THE PART I WAS QUIETLY YELLING AT YOU EARLIER….)
“Because you prevent your husband from freely giving and stand in the way, I have had to use someone else.”
– Un-named friend shared in a small group setting
YOU PREVENT….
YOU STAND IN THE WAY….
So, I have had to USE SOMEONE ELSE.
She was devastated. She repented, and decided that their money, plans and budget belonged to the Lord, and she would never again stand in the way. She approached her husband and told him, we are not giving enough, give whatever is on your heart to give, remove the cap, let’s go for it! He said he about fell on the floor!
This testimony was powerful for me. I am married to a Visionary, a guy who works in Southeast Asia, among the most dangerous places, situations, and people. I am married to a man who comes against anyone who is attacking the church. I am married to a man who was made for a war. I am married to a man who if (and when) the Lord allows him, would move to Indonesia tomorrow and work there for the rest of his life. I have considered all of these things and did well before I married him. I know that it is not IF, but WHEN the Lord calls Rich, I cannot be the person to stand in his way! I will not be the wife the Lord has to address and say to her “because of you standing in the way, I have had to use someone else.”
Preventing SOMEONE ELSE from fulfilling their destiny?? NO THANKS. I mean if it’s MY destiny we are talking about here… that’s bad enough…it’s on me, right? But preventing another person from being used is like… ANOTHER LEVEL.
Even as I write this, tears come to my eyes thinking about what “could happen”, but I trust the Lord with my life, with my husband, with our future, and I believe his purposes are so much greater than mine. When I heard her say this, my heart cried out to the Lord, and I was immediately met with his voice telling me that he will strengthen me and enable me to do all that he has called Rich and I to do.
I want to share this with you because I don’t want you to be that woman either.
I don’t want you to be a woman that stands in the way of God’s work.
Let God use your husband. Let him have your kids. Stop getting in the way. Most of all, LET HIM HAVE YOU. Don’t make God use someone else.
When the Lord asked, “whom shall I send, who will go for us?”, Isaiah responded “HERE I AM, LORD, SEND ME!” And that is to be our attitudes today.
Move it or lose it sister. That is all.
Other Resources:
Sermon: “God Is In Control” by Pastor Rich Witmer
So Good!
Wow… Amen😭❤️
Wow…Amen…That made me tear up.
Great stuff!