A Little Goes A Long Way

By Brandon Allen
Executive Director / Fortify Foundation

What do Larry Burkett, Steve Moore, Ron Blue, Howard Dayton, Dave Ramsey, and Rob West all have in common?   

They all have tried to help the average Christian understand the need to be intentional about Biblically stewarding our finances.   

I’ve always been intrigued listening to the varying stories on some of their broadcasts. The nature of people’s thinking surrounding money is often mind-blowing to say the least. Regardless of the immediate circumstances, or issues presented, have you ever considered the common theme amongst the answers given? The key is the same thing that Benjamin Franklin mentioned so long ago, “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”  

According to some of the latest research, 1 in 5 Americans are no longer planning their finances. This means that there is not any aspect of savings of any kind. No doubt there is a wide array of circumstances surrounding this statistic, but the question then becomes, are they able to. As Christian educators, we know that our calling is not the most lucrative of positions. Many of our teachers are making significant sacrifices to continue in reaching the next generation. Is it possible for them to make ends meet and then set aside for future needs?  

I’ll never forget first hearing the story about Gladys Holm. She died in 1996 at the age of 86 which is when she developed an incredible legacy. She always had a soft spot for children and loved giving teddy bears to sick kids at the hospital, but most would not have given much note until her passing. She wasn’t anyone famous and had not necessarily made any publicly noteworthy contributions to society until her passing. She worked as a secretary for 41 years for Foster C. McGraw, who founded a hospital supply company. She never made more than $15,000 in any of those years. So, what made her a public phenom at the end of her life? Upon her passing, her attorney called the local Children’s Memorial Hospital and told them they’d be receiving a gift of $18 million dollars from Gladys Holm! Up to this point, the largest donation in this industry had been $10 million left by the former owner of McDonald’s, Ray Kroc. We would expect such a large amount from a figure like Ray Kroc but how in the world could a secretary living on $15,000 per year leave such a donation? She must have inherited it, right?  

It was discovered that she had been intentionally setting aside money and investing in dividend growth stocks. Gladys’ boss Foster encouraged her to invest whenever / wherever she could. Around the Christmas season, she would receive a typical Christmas bonus. Her boss encouraged her to invest that bonus. Anytime Foster purchased 1,000 shares of a company, she would be sure to purchase 10 shares. It was through these small incremental changes that allowed her to amass a net worth of $18 million, living on only a $15,000 year salary.  

So, what can we learn from this powerful testimony?  

Our Financial Position is not due to a Money Problem. 
 Many times, our thinking is that if we only had a little bit more then that would make the difference. The truth is how we manage what we have is the real difference. The size of our income does not necessarily impact the future of our overall financial standing. Everyone can set aside something, even if it is just a dollar a day! (Still don’t believe me? Consider researching these individuals too: Sylvia Bloom, Grace Groner, Genesio Morlacci, Ronald Read, Jay Jensen, Florence Ballenger)

Think of the Long-Term Impact.
Do you think Gladys could have found alternative ways to spend those incremental amounts of money she chose to invest? Absolutely! Would a Christmas bonus have helped her acquire more in the short term? Absolutely! But it was her focus on the long-term goal that allowed her to make such an impact. I’ve always appreciated Randy Alcorn’s perspective from his book Managing God’s Money. “Don’t ask how your investment will pay off in 30 years… Ask how it will pay off in 30 million years!”  

True Wealth is different than Profit.
In conjunction with our own mission, it’s not about amassing money. It’s all about how that money allows us to further accomplish our mission. As Christians, our wealth is our impact. As God has called us to our respective positions at this time, it should still be our desire to see that what we accomplish today lasts tomorrow. Regardless of what your current P&L might show, the difference is in the plan with that P&L.   

As I opened this article with several individuals that God has used to impact the financials of individuals and families, it is our mission at Fortify Foundation to impact the financials of as many Christian educational organizations as possible!  

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