Helen Schmid

I’m Helen Schmid. After 12 years in the New York City area, my husband Ben and I and our toddler son left our city life, selling our home and our AirBnb investment property to be closer to family in my hometown of Malvern, Pennsylvania (in the suburbs of Philly). We left “money on the table” by selling our profitable investment property, but then one month later, the COVID-19 pandemic began and God’s wisdom amazed us in hindsight! Most people would be surprised by how God has called us into radically new paths. Within four years, Ben and I both left lucrative corporate careers to pursue our callings from God, starting with Ben leaving his job on Wall Street. Then, I left my career as a Director of Marketing at Walmart to start my own marketing consulting firm to serve non-profits and mission-driven companies.

God is the best example of sacrificial and constant generosity. First, God gave us his son Jesus Christ. Then, Jesus gave his life for us by dying on the cross for our sin. Our God is rich in mercy and generous in forgiveness. He accepts us back as prodigal sons, even when we fail him again and again. Beyond our salvation, every good thing in our lives is a gift from God - our health, our families, our talents, our material possessions and our communities. God owns it all and he gives us what we do not deserve. We can be stewards of his generosity by giving our time, talent, and treasure to others.

In 2018, my husband, who is now an independent financial planner, was studying to become a Certified Kingdom Advisor. During that time he became convicted that we were not giving enough, so we began to study what Scripture says about money. That year we ended up giving more than ever before. What began as sense of obligation turned into a surprising feeling of freedom. The chains of money began to loosen around me, and it was the beginning of my generosity journey. I believe biblical generosity is the key to unlocking greater freedom and joy in our lives.

Amassing wealth is so celebrated in our culture that we don’t even realize how the love of money can enslave us into deep bondage. We begin to ground our identity and self-worth in an increasing salary, a high-consumption lifestyle, the approval of others, and feeling secure by storing up our treasure on earth. Wealth has a way of blinding us so that we think we don’t need God. It lulls us to sleep. We become afraid to take risks for the kingdom of God because we don’t want to lose our possessions. But this is a form of slavery. Wealth becomes our master rather than our servant, even for Christians, and keeps us from God’s purposes for our lives and the destiny he planned for us. Generosity is the only way to break the bondage. 

What has helped me cherish Jesus more than wealth and success is learning to surrender to him. Surrender means I believe that Jesus knows exactly what I need and will provide for me. He is a better provider than I am for myself anyway! I’ve tried to provide that for myself through hustling and achievement, but learned it wasn’t enough because I was not aligned with Jesus. His desires for me are much better and more fulfilling, because as my Creator, he knows me more intimately than I know myself. Surrender also means I can rely on Jesus as my source of security. Surrender sounds difficult, but it is so liberating and comforting.

At age 25, I wish I knew that Jesus doesn’t measure generosity with just numbers, but also by what’s in our hearts. He said of the poor widow who gave her last two copper coins, “This poor widow has put in more than all of them.” (Luke 21:3) I used to disqualify myself from giving because I didn’t think I could give enough. Generosity seemed like an achievement I was supposed to do, but just couldn’t be good enough. I wish I knew that generosity is not about giving what I don’t have, but about stewarding what I do have. God owns everything and invites us into the greater joy of using his resources to serve and bless others in Jesus’ name. I think my 25-year-old self might have felt more motivated to increase my financial giving out of the joy and freedom that comes from that realization.

I find that a few minutes of silence throughout the day to be with God really grounds me. Spending a moment acknowledging and thanking my Father for the day, for my family, and for the path that he has me on. I feel comforted and content whenever I take a few quiet moments to talk to God. 

I learned so much from a ministry called Women Doing Well about giving according to our unique purpose and passion areas, plus giving of our whole lives, not just our money. Ben and I share the two-word purpose statement, “Imparting Wisdom,” and our passions are in education, youth, evangelism, and vocational ministry. We give financially in those areas as well as give our time and talent. We both take on pro-bono clients and I currently serve on the board of Women Doing Well. 

My purpose at work is to use the unique giftings that God gave me in marketing and business to serve ministries and non-profits who are advancing God’s Kingdom. Another purpose that’s on my heart is to boldly encourage people to act on the calling that God has set for them. I believe many people have already received their callings, but are afraid to act on them because it means financial change. This was our story, but now I want to tell others that you don’t have to follow the world’s definition of success. You don’t have to keep hustling in a rat race of accumulation, because as Ecclesiastes 2:11 says, “it’s a chasing after the wind.” We can’t take any of our wealth or possessions with us when we die, so let’s chase after God and his unique purpose for our lives, our families, and our work. It will be far more satisfying and fruitful in the end. 

Three words I hope to be remembered are: faithful, fearless, and obedient to God.