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The Tithing Approach to Successful Business

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The name is synonymous with fine furniture and multi-million dollar profits. But there’s so much more to this American success story.

Matt Eddy says, “We have made every mistake at least three times -- second time to make sure it was wrong the first time, the third time for good measure. We’ve only identified two reasons why we still exist today. The first one is the Lord, and the second one is the Lord.”

Matt Eddy, president of Habersham Furniture, is running one of the most successful businessess in America, and he has a very unique business philosophy.

“For me, a successful business is a business that honors God and uses its resources to forward the kingdom,” he says. “It’s not about how much money we can make for ourselves, but how much money we can make for the kingdom of God.”

Giving generously is a way of life that Matt Eddy learned from his mother Joyce, founder and CEO of Habersham.

“Mother and dad would always instill in us that 10 percent belonged to God before anything else,” Joyce says.

It wasn’t always easy to give either. In 1969, Joyce Eddy was a struggling single mother with two sons

“I never felt sorry for myself ever and I didn’t blame anybody,” Joyce says, “And I was careful not to ask people for much either.”

But Joyce dared to believe that with hard work and perseverance, anything was possible. She opened a tiny antique shop with a friend. The rest, as they say, is history. Over the next three decades, a junk antique shop barely breaking even became a multi-million dollar furniture company. But some things haven’t changed -- like the Eddys’ commitment to radical giving, even during the hard times.

After September 11th,their business plummetted 30 percent. Instead of layoffs, the Eddys and their friends went to prayer.

“They prayed that God would bless us indeed and enlarge our territory, that His hand would be with us. In January of 2002, our business started to go up, and by August, it was the best year we had in the history of the company.”

There was another factor. Matt says continuing to give was essential to their turnaround.

“We were going to give until we couldn’t give, because it’s His money,” Matt says. “It’s not our money; it’s His money. We try to do the best we can with His money.”

That’s why Matt and his wife Donna, as well as his mother, are all CBN partners as members of the Chairman's Circle.

“CBN does so much for the sick and the needy around the world, I just felt from God a major push in my heart that we really needed to be much more involved. It was very specific to the amount of money that we should be pledging to CBN. [We] weren’t sure how that was going to happen, but we went ahead and pledged. And we’ve been doing it ever since.”

So when you see those beautiful hand-painted Habersham designs, think about the principles of success that brought them to life.

“It says, ‘Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down shaken together, overflowing, so that the measure you use will be measured back to you.’It’s a promise from God that He will open up the floodgates of heaven and pour on you so much blessing you can’t even imagine.”

Matt Eddy and his family saw the rewards of applying the Law of Reciprocity -- "Give and it shall be given to you" -- by giving to CBN. Here is your chance to give to the Lord and see your dollars bring truth to hurting people, feed and clothe needy children, keep The 700 Club Prayer Counseling Center phone lines operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and provide medical care to those who need a tangible touch of God's love. Become a CBN partner today!