More Than Enough Financial coach and mortgage agent David van Noppen took a leap recently that sent him free-falling from 9000 feet above the earth. After falling from the plane for 30 seconds, his tandem partner pulled the ripcord, opening the parachute. Within minutes he was walking again on solid ground.
It was one of those bucket list events, that now keeps him asking for more. Where some people fear the height, or fear the equipment’s failure, David did not. He simply trusted. He trusted the people with him, the equipment, the process, the teaching, and the expertise of others.
“It never entered my mind that he wouldn’t pull the ripcord,” David says in retrospect. ‘I just never thought of it. I was not afraid it wouldn’t work.”
His skydiving experience of trust represents a significant picture of our journey with finances and God.
“God has provided us with the biblical principles in His Word,” David says. “They are principles that have longevity and are also trustworthy. If we follow what He says, we won’t necessarily be free of adversity, but those principles and teachings will safeguard us from falling flat on our faces.”
A trust in God’s biblical principles is absolutely necessary in today’s financial climate where there is a growing fear in Canadians over the rise in the interest rate from the benchmark 0.5 per cent to 0.75 per cent.
Growing Interest Rates
With the recent interest rate increase in July, many people have growing concerns and fears about how this will affect their lifestyles and mortgage payments. Both the offices of More Than Enough Financial Fitness, and The Mortgage Advisors Ottawa office, experienced an influx of calls from concerned clients over the interest rates this summer.
Mortgage broker Christa Tessier shared with David and Rebecca van Noppen on their radio show “Let’s Talk Money with Dave and Reb” that many people are living from paycheque to paycheque and are concerned about even small rate increases.
David and Christa agreed that the media hasn’t helped ease fears either, as media outlets use words like rate “hikes”.
“The interest rate is still lower than it was at the beginning of the year,” David says. “People just need to talk through their financial situation, and hear from someone they trust that the sky is not falling.”
Practical Steps
Both David and Christa make a few practical suggestions to help people deal with their fear.
- Call a trusted coach, advisor and/or mortgage agent to talk through your finances and your mortgage.
- Make spending plan changes in your lifestyle so you can put extra money towards your mortgage every paycheque.
- Don’t let fear have the last word: turn off social media and news outlets early in the evening and do something you love that brings life.
Ultimately, the van Noppens agree that understanding God loves you and will help you walk through these uncertain financial times is very important.
“Remind yourself daily, minute by minute even, that God the Father is our source of life and provision,” Rebecca says. “In terms of skydiving: God is our ultimate tandem partner. He holds the ripcord in His hand, and His equipment never fails.”
Rebecca van Noppen is Communications Director at More Than Enough. She is also a teacher, home educator, writer, and woman who loves to pray. A lover of Jesus, she works alongside her husband Financial Coach Dave van Noppen to help others find hope and freedom in Christ on their financial journeys.