Do you know God’s plan for your finances? In this episode of Hello Black Girl Podcast, “Your Purpose Coach” Bailey Orenia delve into a heartfelt and enlightening conversation about navigating the pressures of financial success, based on biblical principles. Join us as we discuss the importance of stewardship, contentment, and the role of faith in our financial decisions. Pastor Tonya Fletcher shares her wisdom on how to balance modern financial goals with spiritual guidance, emphasizing the importance of giving, maintaining a godly perspective on wealth, and leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. This episode offers valuable insights for anyone seeking to find peace and purpose in their financial journey.

Hello Black girl. How are you?

Hello Black Girl!

I’m glad you were able to jump on a call with me because girl, I’ve been going through it. I’ve been scrolling on social media and I’ve been noticing how you have so many  people talking about scoring the bag if you’re not retired by 35, and if you’re not grinding 24/7, then you’re failing.

So I wanted to stop and I had to ask myself, “Wait a minute, am I, you know, am I  doing something wrong?” But then I had to catch myself  and remember what God said about finances and what God said about money. And I thought, you know, let me reach out to Tonya ’cause she’s a pastor. Let me, you know, reach out to my pastor friends.

And I also reached out to my friend who’s a pastor of Ray King, and I’ll talk about that later.

So I wanted to take some time out just to get your feedback on the topic.

Yeah, let’s go. Let’s have this conversation.

It is time to thrive in the spaces God has called you to be.

Yeah, I, see those posts and I even hear conversations about those types of things amongst people that I’m around and it really just irks me. You try to measure yourself, with those  individuals. This is a great topic because it puts so much pressure to try to keep up with what everybody else is doing and different things like that. And it is biblical principles that, we all must stand on .

One of the things I feel like it’s important for people to understand is that God owns everything.  So when we’re getting the, the bag  per se, what are we doing with it? Are we honoring him with it or are we saying, this is my doing and this is my money? Or are we going based off of the principles that God talks about?

Absolutely. Everything belongs to God. Everything belongs to him. He is the reason why we have it. And it is supposed to bring glory back to him.

We didn’t get those jobs on our own.

We sure didn’t.

It’s for your degree.  Oh, I have a master’s. I have a doctorate degree. Oh, God gave you that power to get those things. You didn’t get it on your own. So let’s not forget where it all really comes from.

Amen. Look. Amen, sister. I have accomplish certain things in my life, and if you were to look at the resume that preceded it, you would’ve been  like, Bailey is not qualified to do  what she’s doing. And I think a prime example of that, when I helped launch BET.com, I didn’t have a journalism background, but I was doing what they already wanted to do.

So although I didn’t have the, the schooling and the education, I did somewhat have the know-how. But that know-how was based off of God leading me in a certain direction He knew that the opportunity was coming. I didn’t, I had no idea.

And now a multi-billion dollar company wants to launch their website. You know, I just say, but God.

So one of the other things I want to talk about being a good steward because if you can’t maintain a one-bedroom apartment, how are you maintaining a five-bedroom apartment?

And God pays attention to those things.

Absolutely. He says that if you can’t be faithful over the least, I will not make you ruler over the much.

And so we’re supposed to be good stewards over everything that he has entrusted  us with, from our kids to our money, to our jobs, to our vehicles, to everything.

We’re supposed to be good stewards over that. Are you really a good steward over that if you’re really not honoring God with what he’s given us? I told my kids years ago because  I was believing God for a nicer place. I  had a one-bedroom apartment. I was believing God for a two-bedroom apartment.

And I said if you don’t take care of what we have now, God is not going to bless us with more. And so that then made them to understand the value of what he has given us.  Make up your beds when you get out of it. Clean up your house, your bedroom, and all of that. Wash the dishes behind you.

So it’s bigger than financial. It is everything that he has given us to steward over down to our children. How are we stewarding them? Are we taking care of them? How are we talking to them?

Mm-hmm.

It’s a whole area of stewardship and God wants us to be good stewards over what he has blessed us with.

That’s just really how it is.

Let’s talk about the burden of being in debt.

And I know a lot of  times when we accumulate these things, we tend to think, oh, God bless me with this, but sometimes we make financial decisions that God didn’t. I would say, ordained or he didn’t give us confirmation in doing so.

Not to say that God has never given anyone something and then hardship has fallen behind it ’cause I think sometimes that’s God’s way of testing you. Especially if you got a big head like, “Yeah, I did this.” You know, you’re now, you’re boasting and bragging of what you’re doing versus God, he will humble you real quick. So I always say it’s not a blessing if there’s a  burden.

That’s really good.

I remember when we were talking the other day you referenced  Proverbs 22:7, which talks about the rich rule over the poor and the borrower is a slave to the lender.

Yeah, God wants us to be the lender and not the borrower.

Mm-hmm.

Is the  word of God. That’s scripture. He wants us to be the lender and not the borrower, meaning that he doesn’t want us to be in debt. Let you not pay that house note or that car note. They’re coming to get their property back. So you’re not independent in your own home.

You just aren’t.

Right.

So, God wants us to really be, and I confess it literally every Sunday that we are debt-free. And how we’re gonna be debt-free is by using the wisdom of God.  We have to use the wisdom of God when it comes down to our finances. Meaning like you go out there and you get an interest rate on a car or a credit card for 18 and 25%, that is not of God.

Isn’t of God. It’s a bondage. I remember being that person and being stressed out, worrying and all of that. How am I going to pay this every month? Because if you have a big APR rate, you have a big car note.

And so God doesn’t want that. He wants us to have peace about it.

And so I found out in my later years if I don’t have peace before I purchase something, I won’t buy it. I just won’t buy it because I know that feeling of being in bondage. I’ve had cars, repoed, I’ve been evicted, and so every lesson, unlearned is repeated and so if you don’t learn your lessons, you’re gonna continue to repeat it.

I didn’t have anybody helping me with finances and talking about these types of things that we’re talking about. And yeah, it’s a much-needed conversation. I’m so glad that you called me.

I’ve seen so many marriages and so many relationships fail or go through turmoil because both aren’t good stewards. Or maybe one is, and the other one isn’t heeding the guidance of the other.

But I wanted to take a  moment to actually, talk about 2 Kings 4:1-7 as well, and I’m gonna read from the NIV version, and this was about the widow’s oil because remember  I was saying to you that God tells us not to go in debt, but then this woman here is borrowing from, from someone.

So is that a contradiction? So let me just read it real quick and then we  can kind of have that conversation. So starting with verse 1 ” The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elijah, “Your servant, my husband is dead, and you know that he has reverenced the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

2 Elijah replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” 3 Elijah said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask just for a few.” And I definitely wanna unpack that part.

4 “Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all of the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”  5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her, and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can  live on what is left.” So my debate was, look at here. God just said, don’t be, you know, excuse my ebonics, “Don’t be borrowing money.”

But now here we have Elijah talking about borrowing vessels to pour oil in. So my question was, okay, well what’s the difference? So I asked my friend Ray King, who’s a pastor out of Atlanta, and he’s also on the advisory board for Black Girl Visions.

So what Ray basically said was, the difference is one was transactional. The other in this story is relational.  And I said, uh, I said, okay. I said that. That’s good right there. So what’s your perception of the scripture or the whole debt versus this borrowing situation?

Yeah. And that’s a good point right there, is the debt versus the borrowing, because at any time she could have given those empty vessels back to the neighbors. You  know what I’m saying?

Right.

Those vessels were used for divine purpose. When we go out and get into debt, is not for a divine purpose. When we go and borrow, it’s not for a divine purpose.  Unless you go to that car lot and buy that car and then you get home and it’s paid in full, that’s for a divine purpose. And so that is how it is even with this. And he told her  to go and borrow the vessels to pay off a debt, but his thing in it was her being obedient to the prophet Elijah and so out of her obedience and which is why he said to go and get as many as you can. Because that one jar of oil that she had was able to fill all of those vessels so you know that it was a divine purpose. Right there where God wanted her to be. He wanted to show her that if you do what you’re, what you told to do, I have something divinely connected, which was overflow. He provided overflow.

I haven’t seen too many people get into debt, and that debt provided overflow for them. I’ve never seen that before. I have never seen that. And so when you dive into the story, there’s so many variables in there and it shows really God’s provision, our houses, and all of this stuff. It just, you sit back and you really analyze that story actually, the borrowing created her financial stability for her and her sons.

Right.

That we, the debt back in the day when they got into debt, they were afraid of being sold into slavery and all of those types of things.

And so that didn’t happen here. Because she just borrowed this, these vessels, so at any moment she could have given them back.

And I think another point to that is  back in those days when you weren’t able to pay off your debt, you became the slave of the creditor until you paid off the debt. And that puts you in a position of being taken advantage of and being exploited because now you’re a servant to, like the Bible says, “You’re a servant to the lender.”

Yes.

Pastor King talked about how  she already had a relationship with them. That’s like us giving money to our kids and saying, “Hey, you know, I’m loaning this to you.”  Versus going out here, and getting in debt for a transaction.

So that’s a very, very good point that he brought up. And I, again, it makes you dive into the story, um, to think a little bit when we’re talking about debt and financial responsibility.

You mentioned the fact that, you know, she was being obedient. And I think that obedience is a major part in not only just the overflow but living an abundant life. And  with that obedience, God talks about giving. And I know when we talked before, you mentioned the heart posture and you made a point, which I never thought of, which I felt was awesome. You said that, “When you give, you give intentionally and you have a direction for it.”

Absolutely. We didn’t have much growing up. It was, it was very humble beginnings. And so, um, early on in life. I learned this principle about  sewing and reaping, if it was money or anything, if it was a smile, if it was a hug, whatever it may have been. And so I tested God in this area of my money. It worked over here in this area, I know that it can work in that area. I had a child at the age of 17, and so I didn’t have a lot, I didn’t have my parents around, I was homeless with this child and so early on I told God, I’m going to test you in this area of giving, and I am, I’ll be 53 in a few months.

He’s never let me  down in that area. When I was getting public assistance, I was giving off of that. So when I didn’t have money and I had change in my purse, I was giving off of that, sewing off of that.

I may not been a tithe, but I was giving because I understood the principle of giving.

Not just about money, but then when it got money, I understood it. If I give, it shall be given back to me. And that is how it was with this lady, with the vessels with it. It was overflowing. That’s what the Luke 6:38 says when you give, it shall be given back to in  a good measure, press down, shaken together.  And running over that is the overflowing blessing that she received with those, with that oil.

And so in order for God to get it back to me in a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, it first says that you have to give. And so those are scriptures that I’ve been  living on and chewing on for over 20-something years, and he has never let me down. It was always something that was being taken care of when I didn’t have enough money.

I had more months than money. God always took of it. He really did. And. I mean, then it spilled over to favor when I’m being intentional about my sewing. My daughter went to school, I told you a few years ago since college, and I was intentional about the seeds that I was sewing years before she left years before.

And so when she got the school, her tuition was paid for.  Why is that? Because I held onto the principles of sowing and reaping in the area of my finances.

I truly believe this. It’s not always what you have, how much you make, but how much you keep  I think a lot of times people forget that money is a tool. Money is a tool and God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others.

Yes.

Be honest with you, there’s sometimes I have to check myself ’cause I’m like, okay, as soon as this check come in, as soon as I get this money, I’m gonna do this, this, this, this, and the third. And then I say, my ego gets checked. And then I say, um, well don’t forget you got a tithe. And I’m like, yeah, yeah, I know that that’s a given.

But still, I have to say to myself, “Why are you running down this?”

Yeah.

You need to, that needs to be still part of that list that you speak on. And then part of that list also needs to be, how am I going to use a portion of this outside of tithing?

How am I going to use a portion of this to be a blessing to other people?  And I totally believe this. As God is my witness and as I am sitting here, ’cause I know some people struggle with, I don’t have enough. So if I don’t have enough for this, how am I gonna be able to do this? But listen to what you just said.

You don’t  have enough. So what you have is not enough then a  dollar or $20 is not gonna make or break your situation ’cause you don’t, you already don’t have it. But here’s the point, if you are not gonna sow, or help someone else out when you  don’t have what makes us believe that you’re  gonna do it when you do have it, because that’s, you know, you have to think about.

That’s not in your nature. If that’s in your nature, you’re gonna do that no matter how little you have or how much you have. Period.

Agree. I mean that’s what I referenced earlier about if you’re not faithful over the lease, you’re not going to be ruler over much. I remember making a certain amount of income and I never said, oh God, I don’t have enough to give. I did sowed intentionally towards an increase in my income. I sold intentionally towards  the figure.

I had a figure in my bathroom  I still do of what I wanna make a year, how much I wanna make on this job, and so I sew as if I was making that amount. And I stand by that and I live by that because I believe it. And before you know it, you’ll get to that number because I was intentionally sowing towards that.

It’s a per posture of your heart. And so if you wait to make a million dollars a year just to give or to sow into somebody else to be a blessing, you will never do it because you’re not even blessing them while you have the 10,000.

Right.  But I tell you what, if you don’t have a good hot posture and the small things. The ego is gonna take over because I always say you find out who a person really is when they have options, whether that’s decisions, whether or not, whether that’s financial.

You’ll really get to know and people say, oh, you know, money changed you. And I say, no money didn’t change that person. Money just magnified who they were.

Absolutely, it really revealed them, it exposed them, it really did expose them and that’s all it is.

We should be doing these things unto the Lord. I don’t tell people how much I give. It is none of their concern. My giving is between me and God. I tell the people this all the time that we’re over. Your giving is between you and God.

God is the one that should be convicting you and not us. We should not be having to do that. God should be the one that’s doing that. I wanna see God show up in every area of my life, like with my kids.

I mean, I worked it, I worked his principles. When my kids were acting up, I had to pull back on some things and lean in with them a little bit more. I really do believe the word of God works if we work it.

The key message here is that giving is a key to blessings and when you give, make sure, ’cause obviously, God says he likes to cheer for the giver, so make sure that your heart posture is in a good place.

What do you take away from the scripture, um, when God talks about, um, leaving an inheritance for our children’s children? How does that resonate with you?

Listen. We didn’t talk about that, but God has been dealing with me. Pertaining that because I have, you know, four grandchildren now, and so, I’ve been really like, it’s been on me so hard. Like what inheritance  am I going to leave? I am going to leave a legacy, number one for my children and my grandchildren, and so on. I’m gonna leave a legacy, not an inheritance, not just of money. It’s also going to be a faith, resilience, strength, and all of that  empowerment, knowing that they can, whatever that they do, they put their hand to that. They can be a blessing to other people. That is part of it. And then the other piece is like, I want to be able to leave money. For my children and their children.

And their children  I don’t want them to have to struggle at all.  Like I believe if my kids need to come back home right now, have enough space for them to come back home.  And I’m gonna always have enough space for them  to come back home because I don’t want them struggling out here in this crazy world when we can help them. And so that can be part of the inheritance that we are leaving for our children. Because I know for me, growing up, I constantly heard, when you turn 18, you’re gonna get out this house. So the inheritance is, it is not kicking your kids out of the house when they turn 18.  Let them go to college, come back, save up their money, put most of the money down for a property. Let them save up. And so that God has been dealing with me and so I’ve been, you know, really sitting with God to find out some ways that I can leave some, uh, good inheritance that I’m talking about.

Money for my grandkids. My kids are really doing good in life on their own, but now my focus is on my grandchildren.

It’s funny that you say that because I literally have had that conversation with my son and I told him that I feel like the Black community is, I’m not gonna say the only, ’cause I really don’t know if other ethnic backgrounds do that. But I’m just speaking from a black perspective and growing up in a black household.

Now, my parents never said, when you turn 18, you out the door. But do I know that that’s a saying that goes throughout our community?

Absolutely.

But I basically told him, I was like, look, you don’t have to move out when you turn 18 or even, you know, when you go to college and if you wanna come back, I said, but let me keep it 100 with you. It’s not about you just sitting around like, you’re not gonna say, oh yeah, I stay at home. I live in my mama’s basement. Like, we not doing that. But if you’re always bettering yourself in your purpose, if you’re saving or investing money, then I’m all for it.

So at the end of the day, if you want to, let’s say you graduate college or you know, whatever, you got your nine to five and you making whatever it is that you’re making, do you have to contribute to the household that you live in?

Yes. I taught my son that when he was two, I have videos where he was putting clothes in the dryer. So if you’re capable, whatever it is you’re capable of doing, you have to contribute. And where, wherever you live, whether it’s financially, whether you’re cleaning, whether, whatever it may be.

You have to contribute in some shape, form, or fashion, but stack your money. Don’t feel as though you have to go out here, buy the latest and greatest car. I put all of this money paying for an apartment or paying a mortgage. I said, stack your money because between me and your dad, you have options of, you know, of places to live.

Praise God. But I found that ironic that that was something that you shared with your kids as well.

Oh yes, absolutely. My son went away to college. He went, um, to Bowie State. So he wanted to come back home his third year, which was fine because he wanted to work as well as go to school.  Well, I saw that he was buying clothes that I couldn’t even buy. You know, and he was making really good money with the DC government and still going to school full time.

But he was excited. You know, you get this 19-year-old that’s making, you know, $40 an hour back then, and they’re excited they buying these jeans, and then I’m like, oh, so if you have money to do that, then have money to contribute. So I wrote up a lease for him. I did. I, I wrote a lease. He signed it. Your rent is due, it was $200, $300, or something back then. Um, on the first of each month, after the fifth, you owe me a late fee.

No, that’s right.

To hear it and I was just trying to teach him some financial responsibility. Like, you’re not gonna be able to go out and get the things that you really want because everybody else is doing that.

You have to practice financial stability. And thank God that I did that when he was that age because now he’s 36 on his own working, you know, good government job and just doing well. He actually was the one who signed me up with some stocks and different things like that some years ago. And so that is the inheritance that we wanna leave our children to teach them to be good stewards over their finances, and to save, and to, put money away and do different things like that. He had a vision, for himself, how when he got a certain age, he wanna have a certain amount of properties, all of these types of things that is the inheritance that we need to be leaving, because I can speak for me, I just wasn’t taught those things.

Right.

When I was 15 years old and I never went back, and so I never wanted to push my kids out unless I’ve given them the tools to navigate life.

I’m glad you said that because  I think an important thing that, we need to remember is that inheritance isn’t always financial. Inheritance can be wisdom, the know-how, perspective, life experiences.  So I think that was, that’s something that we all should remember.

And, my last two points that I wanna make is to trust God over money.  So as we know in Matthew 6:24, it says, “No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Absolutely.

God is your source.

We have to know that, so often we rely on our spouses to be outsourced. So often we rely on our jobs to be outsourced, and I was guilty of that. I, this is my second marriage, but in my first marriage, I was so  guilty of that because I consumed  everything into that man related to everything, and God was on the back burner. He is a jealous God. God is a jealous God. He don’t want anything or anybody before him. Definitely not our money. The Bible talks about the love of money as the root of all evil, and so often people are chasing this money, they’re chasing it, and you’re forgetting about God. He’s the one that gives you the ability to get the wealth.

This is the word of God. He’s the one that’s giving you the ability to get the wealth. How can we forget the one that’s given us the ability? How he’s not pleased with that.  And so everything I do, even when it comes down to finances, I’m giving God the glory. I paid a couple of bills this morning and I said, “God, thank you. Thank you.” It wasn’t because I work every day. Thank you. There’s many people that work every day who cannot pay their bills, and so I have to thank him. Every time I pay a bill, I just say thank you, God. Thank you.

You know what’s funny? I say the same thing.  I’m like, Ooh, praise the Lord. And there’s times things come up and I say, I’d be like, look, “God, this is, this is your fault.” You  know, this is, I don’t say this is your fault, let me check myself.

But I do  say, “God, this is you. You gotta handle this. Like, I don’t know. This is all you. This is all you right here. I’m gonna let you figure this out.” And when you got a plan for me to run. And we can take it from there. ’cause those are the situations that are like totally beyond my comprehension.

And when you fix it, I’m gonna give you the glory. I’m gonna take it a step further. I was a stay-at-home mom. And I  remember when we were going through a divorce, I’ll never forget, I was sitting at the dining room table and although it was amicable, I remember, asking him for certain things and, you know, we had our rough patch of whatever. But then I remember sitting at the dining room table and I said out loud, I’m not gonna stress over this.

God  is my source. And when I say I fully released it, I fully, that was just probably the second time in my life I can remember that I totally surrendered everything to him.  The first time was when I was pregnant with my son ’cause they were saying I was gonna deliver early and I prayed and I  released it.

And when I did those two times,  I remember a sense of calm and peace come over me like I had never experienced before. And I was just so confident. And what I said that I didn’t waiver when things would come up. I didn’t, I wasn’t shook. I was like, you know, well I already had this conversation with God, so, you know, it may not play out how I want to, but I know in the end I’m going to get what he said that I was, you know. I’m not gonna say, well, I was entitled to, but what I asked for, and I appreciate.

Not just God honoring that I appreciate God speaking to my ex-husband and putting him in a certain heart  posture to honor me as his son’s mom in order, you know, to make sure that our son was in a good position. So I feel like at the end of the day, it goes right back to the heart posture perspective.

It does, you know, um, that, that’s really good because the Bible talks about casting your care on him for he cares for us. And so if we can get in a posture of casting our cares on  him. And just letting him work it out and us stop trying to figure it out. We always try to figure it out when he’s right there with us, you know?

It really does. It says to cast your cares for him because, um, on him, for, he cares for us. He’s a good, good, good father. The best person I think I’ve ever known in my entire life. He’s right there to take care of every one of our needs, but we gotta give it over to him. We gotta give. And that’s where that peace comes in. That’s why when all heck is breaking loose around us they’re wondering, how in the world  do you still have peace because I’ve given it over to God because it’s no need in me staying up at night.  He said that he never sleep, no slumber. So why am I, um, up when he’s up? So why do I have to be up?

I did a post on social media a while ago, and it says something to the effect of. God isn’t going to, um, take you where you need to go until you take your hands off the wheel because he will sit back and  he will wait. He like, all right, like, you know, since  this is what you wanna do, I’m gonna let you do you, and then when you ready for me to take over, I’m gonna take over.

But until then, you know this, this is all you. And when it doesn’t happen the way you want it to happen, you know, you’ll spin the block.

I do that to my kids. I, I tell them something and I tell them something, and after that, I take my hands off of it because you all are grown adults. You come to me and ask me for something the same way we go to God, and you still wanna do it your way. That’s how it is with God.

We still wanna do it our way, but because we’re  loving parents, just like he’s a loving parent, He’s there with His arms wide open to say, okay, I never tell my kids or anyone else I told you so, I don’t do that. Because God doesn’t do that to us. And so I just, I just, I’m ready to receive. And when they come, ’cause God will tell me, oh, they’re coming back to you. I just be waiting and just be waiting and waiting. And I’m saying to myself, to myself, mm-hmm. I knew you was coming back.

You know, it’s funny, I don’t tell my son. I, I don’t tell my son I told you so, but I do ask.  So how did that work out for you? And there’s times I will tell him, I will tell him, ’cause God tells us this. Let’s keep, let’s keep it real.

When we go against God’s word, yes, he will be there for us. On the other end, yes, he would help us. Um. Restore, whatever. But that doesn’t mean that he’s not gonna require us to go through or suffer the consequences of our actions. So just like  with Adam and Eve, they were disobedient. He still  loved them, but the, but the consequence was they had to leave the Garden of Eden.

There’s times I’ll say, look, I already know how this is going to end, but if you insist on doing it, just know when X, Y, and Z happens.

I’m gonna, you’re gonna have to be accountable for that, so don’t look to me to get, necessarily, get you out of the situation, but there is gonna be a consequence behind it, but I will support you through it.

Yeah. That’s the grace of God. That’s why God gives us grace. So when we mess up, his grace and his mercy is right there. With, that’s what I’m saying, with his loving arms. And that’s what Jesus came for. And we thank God for his grace. And that’s what we have to give our kids that same  grace that God has afforded us because I need  grace.

I’m gonna mess up. I’m gonna tell you I’m going to mess up another time in my life. And so I often tell couples when we are counseling them. That same grace that you want to be extended to you, extended to your significant other because we’re going to need that same grace. I ask God every day.  For grace and new mercies because I know that I probably had said some things or done some things that I wasn’t supposed to do, but for his grace and his mercy, he’s right there. His love and kindness is right there to pick us up. Yeah. You know, you wasn’t supposed to go out and get that 25% interest rate, you know that.

God, that wasn’t no God,  but his grace and his mercy is right there to help us through all of that, to make better decisions for the next time. ’cause the next time we should make better decisions, we really should, because our consequences is that we’re paying an extra $15,000 for this vehicle.  That’s our consequence. I told you not to go out and get that car.

The last point that I wanted to make or ask you about is contentment.

And I know in Timothy 6:6-10. And just to paraphrase it, it talks about godliness with content is great gain for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, which you spoke on.

Yes. Yes. And, and then in another scripture, I can’t remember off the top of my head, it says that, um, whatever state I find myself in, I’m content.

Mm-hmm.

And I had this conversation literally last week with, someone because they have to go back into the office now. They’re the federal government worker. They move out of the area.

They’ve been out the area for about three years now, and they said that they finally have found peace. Because they’ve moved out of this area and now that they’re coming back, they said to me that they prayed for God to give them peace, and he’s giving them peace now. Now  it seemed like the prayer had been reversed.

They said it.  And so, God automatically dropped that scripture in, in my spirit and told her that whatever state you find yourself in, you should be content. Not the physical state as your Maryland, DC, North Carolina, Atlanta, or whatever, but your state, your being. And so it doesn’t matter if you’re in Atlanta or if you’re back here in DC and so, I think that contentment is found in God. I, really do. And until you are centered in God, you’re going to be content. I was content in that one-bedroom apartment. I was with two children. I was content driving that car that the window didn’t even roll down, and the air didn’t work, and heat didn’t work. I was content.  I, I was just content because I had so much peace because I  knew what I was believing God for. It just hadn’t manifested yet. And again, this was almost 30 years ago. And so whatever state you find yourself in, you have to be content. Whatever you are married, you need to be content. Single children, no children, job without a job, you need to be content. That contentment is only found in Jesus Christ. That’s it.

I agree. I’m laughing because some of the things that you’re saying. It is like, parts of a song of my life.  I have been there, done that. Got the t-shirt, I will say content. And I remember having a conversation with, a friend of mine, Denard, and we were talking about being  content.

I feel like you should have a number. So whatever that number is. So for you Tonya, it may be $10 million.  For him, I think he said like 3 million. For me it was about 10 to 50, you know, whatever. Uh, for somebody else it may be 500,000 because you also have to think about dag, if I’m making a hundred million dollars, how many more problems are gonna come with that?

Business-wise, relationship-wise? Things that I have, are people going to, you know, try to get my money? You know, just like there’s a lot of problems. So what is that number? So once you become content with, let’s just say some, somebody may just be content with a million dollars and  then God blesses you with 50 million I.

Are you then now gonna say, oh, let me go spend this, lemme go get this, let me get this. And I’m not saying you shouldn’t treat yourself, but God blessed you above and beyond so you can be a blessing to other people. So now I question, and I’m not saying, you know, it’s your money. You can do what Do with it what you want to.

But then I question, since you said that, that million dollars was your number and now you have an extra 40 million, how are you gonna use at least a portion of that 40 million to help other people?

Absolutely. My prayer, um, for the last 30-plus years is God make me wealthy to be a distribution center to others because again, I’m content. I have everything that I want. I mean, at this moment right now, there  are some other goals that I’m obtaining that will  take place, but I really, I mean, especially in the position that I’m in now, it just makes a lot of sense that this prayer has been, for the last 30 years, I would’ve thought that I was going to be where I am now. And now I understand because there’s so many people that my husband and I want to bless. I mean, like I’m talking about,  saw one time somebody’s power being shut  off, literally. And we, if we’d have had the account number and all of that good stuff, we would have went to them. That place and paid, we wanna be able to do those type of things.

People come to our ministry and need and, and because we are a new ministry, we don’t have the surplus yet, we don’t mind taking it out of our own to take care of those needs. That’s why.  Certain people need what they need because they have a bigger goal in mind for others. Some people want it for them for self-gratification, for self-gain in different things like that.

But when you really have that, there go again, that heart, right, the heart to do what it is that God wants you to do to be a blessing to others. We’re unlimited in what he’ll give us.

Right.

We really are unlimited. That 50 million is small to God for the things that he has in store for you, for other people.

I mean, really, it’s just small for God.

I agree. I appreciate you girl.  You have definitely been a help, um, to kind of share some insight, so you’re, if I’m not mistaken, the name of your church is Restoration Christian Center. And it’s in Waldorf, right?

We are Suitland now.

Oh, Suitland. Okay.

Yes.

I saw on social media, you, so you have an annual, conference that you do every year. So what, what goes on during the conference?

Yes, every May.

It is a women’s empowerment session. I have speakers coming typically three speakers, myself included, and two other speakers. And we just have a good time. A lot of times you hear that women can’t get together and get along and we can, and those are the sessions that we have. I have a theme typically for each year, and a lot of us have gotten away from prayer so we’re gonna be talking about that, just having a good time. Some games, some giveaways. I. Some food and getting on outta there.

We don’t keep you long just to come and have a good morning and then just go about your day.

You have definitely enlightened me. And if it’s okay with you, I would like to say a quick prayer.

So, heavenly Father, we come to you at this moment to say, thank you for allowing Tonya and I to share your word. So for her to impart wisdom upon me in regards to obedience when it comes to finances. Heavenly Father, as I share this with other women, I ask that you enlighten them and guide them in a direction that they need to go to as well.

We wanna thank you for your wisdom. We wanna just thank you for your presence. Heavenly Father, we want to thank you for the things that we have as well as the things that we don’t have.

Amen. I am in agreement and I stay in agreement with your prayer.

Amen. Well, Tonya, thank you so much. I appreciate you and you know I loved you, girl. I love you so much all.

Much.

About Tonya Fletcher

Co-Pastor Tonya Fletcher, affectionately known as Pastor T, is a native of Washington, DC. Pastor T comes from humble beginnings and has worked extremely hard to prove those wrong who told her she would never be nothing.  After having a child, at 17, Pastor T, still went on to college and has been in the medical field for over 25 years.  She was ordained in 2004 under the leadership of Apostle Michael Freeman of Spirit of Faith Christian Center (now Faith City Central).  Pastor T, heart is toward teen moms, single mothers and women in general, because she believes, if she can make it through the storms of life, so can they.  She is a model to other women to serve with grace and finesse. Pastor T assist her husband in ministry in any areas where there is a need. 

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