Jennifer Maggio knew her life could not get any worse financially. That’s when she heard a sermon and made a tough decision that changed her life forever. Listen to her advice on what not to do with your finances—it could change your life too.
Read Transcript
Reporter: JENNIFER WAS
VALADICTORIAN OF HER HIGH
SCHOOL CLASS.
BUT WHEN SHE GOT PREGNANT,
SHE HAD TO GIVE UP HER
COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP TO RAISE
HER BABY.
EVENTUALLY, SHE ENDED UP AS
A SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO
LIVING ON WELFARE IN THE
PROJECTS.
HE SITUATION SEEMED
HOPELESS.
I FELT LIKE I WAS
SURROUNDED BY POVERTY.
THAT'S ALL I SAW.
I WAS AT THE PLACE WHEN I
THOUGHT IT CANNOT GET MUCH
WORSE THAN IT IS IN THIS
VERY MOMENT.
I WAS GOING TO SCHOOL AT
NIGHT, WORKING FULL-TIME
DURING THE DAY, AND JUST WAS
OVERWHELMED.
THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE THAT I
COULD LEAN ON FINANCIALLY.
I LITERALLY HAD NOTHING, AND
WAS SCRAPING PENNIES TO GET
BY.
Reporter: THEN ONE
SUNDAY, JENNIFER HEARD A
MESSAGE IN CHURCH.
THE PASTOR PREACHED A
SERMON ON TITHING.
AND I KIND OF ROLLED MY EYES
AS THE PASTOR BEGAN TO
PREACH THIS.
BECAUSE I THOUGHT, LORD, I
HAVE NO MONEY.
I AM BARELY ABLE TO MAKE
ENDS MEET.
I'M LIVING IN GOVERNMENT
HOUSING RIGHT NOW.
AND I'M USING GOVERNMENT
ASSISTANCE TO FEED MY KIDS.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
TITHING.
BUT THE THOUGHT WOULD NOT
LEAVE MY MIND.
THAT CEREMONY WOULD NOT
LEAVE MY THOUGHTS.
Reporter: JENNIFER
DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE
10% OF HER INCOME.
EVEN THOUGH SHE ONLY EARNED
ABOUT $400 A MONTH.
I JUST WROTE IT.
AND WITHIN SIX MONTHS, GOD
BEGAN TO MOVE IN MY LIFE
FINANCIALLY.
HE BEGAN TO DO THINGS THAT
ONLY GOD COULD DO.
Reporter: JENNIFER GOT
A NEW JOB AS AN OFFICE
MANAGER, AND HER INCOME
DOUBLED.
THAT JOB LED TO ANOTHER
PHYSICIAN AT AN HSBC BANK, A
FORTUNE 500 COMPANY.
SHE WORKED HER WAY UP TO
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT.
I BEGAN TO THRIVE
FINANCIALLY.
IT IS AMAZING TO SEE GOD
ORCHESTRATE THINGS FAR
BETTER THAN WE PLANNED AND
ORCHESTRATE THINGS IN A WAY
WE COULD NEVER THINK OR
IMAGINE.
Reporter: AND SHE
DECIDED TO BECOME A "700
CLUB" PARTNER.
SHE BELIEVES GIVING IS THE
KEY TO HER SUCCESS.
OVER AND OVER I SEE GOD'S
HAND IN MY LIFE.
I BELIEVE IT IS OUT OF THE
TITHING, THE GENEROUS
GIVING, AND BEING A BLESSING
IN GIVING IN THE "700
CLUB."
Reporter: TODAY
JENNIFER IS HAPPILY MARRIED
AND SHE AND HER CHILDREN ARE
THRIVING.
MY CONVERSATION SO MANY
TIMES IS ABOUT GIVING, AND
THE CONVERSATION INEVITABLY
LEADS TO, JENNIFER, I ONLY
HAVE ONE INCOME, AND I HAVE
TWO OR THREE CHILDREN THAT
I'M RAISING.
AND I HAVE ALL OF THESE
OBLIGATIONS THAT I HAVE TO
MEET FINANCIALLY.
I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO
TITHE.
I CAN'T TITHE.
AND I WILL SAY TO THEM, YOU
CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO TITHE.
