Finding Financial Freedom

Brianna Barrett

July 24, 2024

Kristen Neighbarger shares her story of finding financial freedom through Christ.

I sorted through all the mail on the table. My eye caught on the one that seemed most
important–something from my bank. I opened it, expecting my monthly statement, and instead was
appalled at the letter stating my account was overdrawn.

As it was 1999 and before the ease of mobile banking apps, I had to keep a paper ledger in the back of my
checkbook. For three years I had this checking account, kept perfect accounting, and had never once
overdrawn my account.

This had to be a mistake.

New Marriage and Navigating Finances

Immediately, I went upstairs to where my new husband was hooking up our new television in the bedroom
and asked him if he knew why my checking account was overdrawn. He looked at me sheepishly, then
glanced to the television, and proceeded to explain he hadn’t deposited all the money from our wedding in
time to keep the account from being overdrawn. Then, he explained how he was an expert with money, had
a “business mind,” and should take care of all of our finances moving forward since it seemed to cause me
so much stress and anxiety.

Fundamentalist Mindset

I was young–a mere twenty years old, a junior at a Christian College, and a lifelong member of a
fundamentalist church. My entire life I was taught how a woman shouldn’t question her husband, how she
should never speak ill of her husband, and how men were the head of the household.

So, I agreed.

Twenty years later, I was in the middle of a messy divorce and had no idea what my finances looked like.
When I finally ran my credit report, I learned how my husband had opened at least one credit card a year
for the entirety of our marriage and utilized 0% or low-interest balance transfers to consistently move our
debt around. Consequently, I was left with over twenty mostly maxed-out credit cards.

To say that I felt completely hopeless would be the understatement of the century.

Releasing My Finances to God

For the entirety of my marriage, my husband assured me our finances were fine and in the next few years,
we would have a financial breakthrough. Inevitably, though, something would happen, causing us to have to
buy something, fix something, or spend unexpected money. After, though, I’d be reassured of how we were
going to be fine and of the next financial plan.

I couldn’t see the reality of my situation until I was out of it.

I couldn’t see the lies while I was living in them.

And I couldn’t see the excuses and justification until I was separated from them.

Trusting through Releasing

For twenty years, I trusted my husband with my finances. During my divorce, though, I learned to release
my finances to God and trust Him to do exactly what He has promised He will do:
“This is why I tell you to never be worried about your life, for all that you need will be provided, such
as food, water, clothing—everything your body needs. Isn’t there more to your life than a meal? Isn’t
your body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25 (TPT)

God Provides

My credit score was decimated, my bills were more than my income, and I felt like I was drowning in debt I
hadn’t even known existed. I knew I couldn’t do it on my own, but I knew God’s promises, and I had faith
He would provide.

And, He did.

Day after day.

Month after month.

Through the kindness of loved ones, the outpouring of love from friends, and the doors God opened for me
time and time and time again, God picked me up by the bootstraps, dusted me off, and gave me more than I
could have ever hoped, dreamed, or imagined–just like He promised in Ephesians 3: 20 (TPT):
“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely
more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest
imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.”

Trusting God for Financial Freedom

I learned some really hard lessons through this experience. While my trust in God grew exponentially, so
did my financial intelligence. I’ve learned how important both of those things are and how they have to go
hand-in-hand.

While I needed to trust God for my provision and my deliverance and release my finances to Him, I had to
do my part and learn financial responsibility–learning to budget well, creating spreadsheets, monitoring
every cent I spent, understanding the difference between wants and needs, practicing self-control, and
maintaining a consistent knowledge of my debt-to-income ratio.

God is Faithful

Yes, God was providing for me, but I needed to hold up my end of the bargain and be fiscally responsible as
well.

Friend, if you find yourself in a seemingly impossible financial situation today, I see you. My heart breaks
for you. I pray you release your finances and your hopelessness to God today, you seek guidance from an
expert to help you create a plan, and you can learn the same financial intelligence I learned. There is light at
the end of the tunnel, I promise.

Meet Kristen:

Kristen is a recovering fundamentalist who believes that truth, faith, and the sovereignty of God will survive
deconstruction and are critical components of healthy reconstruction. She loves literary analysis and
reading scripture with an analyst’s eye. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband–Russ, daughter–Kate,
faithful dog–Lucy, and her grandma’s cat–Butters (that’s a story for another day). When her parents aren’t
snowbirds, they join the party in their mother-in-law’s suite, affectionately referred to as Cabin B.
Writing weekly on her blog and social media channels, Kristen helps survivors of church hurt, religious
trauma, and spiritual abuse heal and find peace in their faith again. She balances deep dives into scripture
with narratives from her own life and church experiences, always connecting with her reader and making
faith, the bible, and her teaching relatable and applicable to today’s world.