The way God plans the flow of money in His Kingdom may not make sense—but it works. During my early years in real estate, I saw the two sides of God’s Economy, and He led me to experience both. What I learned shaped how I think about money and my income.
I got my real estate license in 2012 and, just as everyone had warned, watched my savings slowly drain away that first year as I struggled to establish a consistent pipeline. I had prayed and was very certain real estate was God’s plan for me, and thankfully He had prepared the savings. I needed to trust He would eventually provide the clients.
In 2013, my pastor, Waxer Tipton, came up to me and declared, “Ali, God wants you to be the new manager for KALO.” KALO was a local TV station our church owned; it aired local and national Christian programming 24/7. My pastor’s announcement was a bit comical to me because I had no applicable work experience. I offered to help him look for someone else. He asked me to pray about it.
Here’s an excerpt from my confused prayers at the time: “God, I thought—I know—you led me into real estate? Yes, I’m struggling to make ends meet, but thanks to you I’ve already had a couple sales. What is Waxer talking about?! Why would he ask me to help at the station? I have no background in TV or video…I don’t even own a TV!”
Like Jonah in the Bible, sometimes we feel in our heart God wants us to do something, but we try to find every excuse not to obey. In my case with KALO, God was speaking both to me and through my pastor, but I wasn’t even interested in asking for any details about the job. After praying, I reported to Waxer that I was confused about which direction God wanted me to take since I had made a commitment to serve Him in real estate.
God always makes a way
My pastor’s next words shocked me: “Ali, just do both!? Whenever you need to take time off for real estate, I approve.”
My fog of confusion lifted, and the heavens parted! God had it all planned perfectly! I then found out KALO could pay me and give me some benefits. It was the smallest salary of my life—after all, KALO was a non-profit ministry—but it was enough to keep me afloat financially between the sporadic commission checks.
I was a total fish out of water as I began working at KALO; I often asked God why He had me there. I had some retail and hotel management experience but knew nothing about the technical equipment, the federal regulations, or getting a small business in the black. Thankfully, our staff (Jason, Mikaela, Chris, Mike, and Ethan) took me in and patiently guided me.
One thing God has blessed me with is salesmanship—and this became my contribution at KALO. I was basically the CFO: Chief Fundraising Officer. Our church had long been subsidizing the station’s monthly expenses and the TV ministry was at risk. The board tasked me with getting the station earning enough to break even. If we were not successful, there were talks of selling the station, which would create a spiritual vacuum on our local airwaves.
The ministry side of God’s Economy
So, we overhauled the station’s operations: we moved to a smaller office space to slash our rent; visited local churches to have them start up video and TV ministries and pay for airtime; restructured the broadcast schedule and charged more for prime-time slots; and solicited viewers and Christian businesses to support the station. Through this crash course in the ‘business’ of non-profit ministry, I learned the first half of God’s Economy—the struggle and blessing of working in full-time ministry.
My favorite daily task was opening the mail. I would put aside the tell-tale envelopes that were bills, and fish out the small envelopes containing handwritten letters from our viewers, sometimes accompanied by a donation check (this was before the days of online and mobile pay).
The testimonies in these letters affirmed the fruit of our ministry: we heard from those who couldn’t sleep and had found God while channel surfing in the middle of the night; those who watched the right message in the nick of time before harming themselves; and those who came back to the Lord because of our programming. There were letters from inmates who watched KALO in prison, and from bedridden folks who couldn’t physically go to church. Very few churches had a video ministry at the time.
The donation checks were mostly small—many were for $5.00—but this is where I learned about the second part of God’s Economy. These giving viewers reminded me of the poor widow in Mark 12:41-44. Jesus identified the widow’s “small” gift to the temple treasury as “everything she had to live on.” Our viewers lamented their finances were tight, but shared how KALO had blessed them so much they wanted to give whatever they could. In God’s eyes, they gave a proportionately huge amount, and we—on the other side of God’s Economy—were grateful for every dollar. God’s Economy is built on $5.00, given and received in faith!
Mark 12:41-44 (NIV)
“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
The marketplace side of God’s Economy
God performed many financial miracles during my time at KALO: one month we were about $1,000 short of being able to pay the rent, payroll, and utilities. Mikaela, our bookkeeper, and I prayed feverishly in our office, asking God to cover the gap. Literally within minutes of opening our eyes after praying, we got a notification from the bank that God had nudged an anonymous donor, who made a $1,000 deposit! Mikaela and I hugged with joy and praise!
God’s Economy abounds with miraculous stories like this. The station desperately needed each and every $5.00, and each and every $1,000 gift. Both sides—the givers and the receivers—witness God’s glory and provision as they trust the Lord to provide. These donations and letters fueled our KALO team’s purpose and ‘why’; they kept us going, often just as we felt like giving up.
Many who answer the call to serve God in full-time ministry have excellent skills and could easily find a higher-paying job in the marketplace. It takes a humble person to answer God’s call to serve in ministry: your hard work can go unacknowledged, and the wages are laughably low. But these servants sacrifice some needs and most wants in their life out of obedience to the Lord. When God tugs at your heart to follow Him, you bank on Him to provide all your needs. He will also surprise you and bless some of your wants too!
God’s Kingdom needs both sides
These faithful laborers in God’s Kingdom desperately need the other side of God’s people—the givers who work in the marketplace and earn the funds to give back to God and His ministries. Both sides of God’s Economy are essential in accomplishing His work in this world. He has placed each of us on the side where He will use us.
God took me out of my comfort zone—working in the marketplace, my true calling—for a season at KALO to teach me. I continuously prayed He’d find a better person for the station to relieve my position, but He didn’t let me leave KALO until I fully understood the two sides of His Economy. He let me feel the struggle of non-profits and ministries that rely on faith and donations to stay operational. He let me experience the sheer joy and praise of receiving gifts from Him through others in the Kingdom.
God eventually appointed a much better qualified manager for KALO; simultaneously He started blessing my real estate business so much that I could no longer do both jobs. As He released me back to the marketplace, I was ready to embrace my responsibility on the other side of His Economy. Before God blessed me with any success in real estate (and He has—abundantly—in the years since), He taught me why He’s entrusting me with His wealth, and why He needs me to be a cheerful giver with it.
Blessed are the faithful on both sides
If you’re on the ministry side of God’s Economy, I pray heaps of blessings on you and your vital work! Thank you for the sacrifices you’ve made—in your finances, career, and worldly comforts—all to glorify God in your daily life. If you are $1,000 short today, pray and know with confidence that God is faithful and already stirring the heart of another in His Kingdom to provide!
God put me in real estate to not only serve my clients during major milestones in their lives, but also earn money to fund His Kingdom. If you’re also on the marketplace side of God’s Economy, God wants—even commands—us to bless the ministry side. As shown in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), He will continue to bless us as we steward what He has given us wisely.
If you are in the marketplace but your income has suffered, I pray heaps of blessings on you and your vital work! We have an important place and responsibility in His Economy and Kingdom. Please remember the poor widow—and the KALO viewers—who gave out of their poverty. God loves you and has not forgotten you—have faith; He will provide! As we give from every paycheck—even $5.00—God sees us and is pleased. Trust me, He makes good use of every dollar we give back to His Kingdom.
Which side of God’s Economy are you on? Do you have a faith lesson or story to share with me?
I would love to hear about it! Thank you for reading! Aloha, Ali
I encourage you to believe The God Layer exists. It represents every part of our real estate work that extends beyond the transaction—even into eternity. Faith and beliefs aside, everyone wants to work for more than just a paycheck. May God bless you as you find true purpose and meaning in your work every time you open this book. Thank you for your work and service in real estate!