An Interview with Deborah Smith Pegues

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Deborah, looking over your many accomplishments, it seems you’ve had a vast array of life experiences. Would you start out by giving us some background information on yourself?

I was reared in a very strict Pentecostal environment in east Texas. I am the second oldest child; I have six brothers. My mother was always sickly, and this forced me to assume some adult responsibilities at an early age. I was cooking dinner for the entire family of nine by the time that I was seven years old, and I learned money management and budgeting skills through grocery shopping for the family.

I wouldn’t characterize my childhood as fun, but rather as performance–oriented. I performed at home and received accolades from my mom, neighbors and relatives. I performed at school and received numerous achievement awards. Reading was my passion, and it still is.

Of course, the church played the biggest role in my life since it seemed that every other activity was a sin. I could hardly wait to escape to college. Ironically, it was during my freshman year that I made a lasting commitment to serve God only.

You’ve had a very successful tenure in executive positions with several major corporations. Would you share about your experiences in the corporate world?

I loved Corporate America, and it was my desire to change what it meant to “climb the corporate ladder.” We don’t have to embrace the world’s ways of getting ahead. It was a delight to watch God show Himself strong and give me favor with those in charge. I never worried about the potential disadvantages of being female or Black. There are certain Scriptures that are etched in my heart and mind––Psalm 75:6–7 is one of them. I firmly believe that “...promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

A couple of positions I held were far above my experience level, but the Holy Spirit never let me down; He taught me many things on the spot. It was a very humbling experience to receive accolades that were based on what I knew the Holy Spirit had revealed.

Being a venture capitalist was by far the most exciting of all my corporate experiences. Investing in startup businesses was quite risky. Taking those big risks, however, really strengthened my faith.

So how did you get your start? What did you do beforehand that prepared you for and led up to those positions?

I majored in accounting, which is a field that can springboard you into all kinds of industries. After all, every entity must have financial accountability. I started my professional career by working for one of the “Big Eight” public accounting firms. It was very stressful, but fun. In fact, every job I’ve ever had has been stressful and deadline– driven. I still like numbers even though I’m now devoted full–time to writing and speaking.

Teaching part–time at California State University for more than ten years was also a very rewarding endeavor. Teaching has always been my passion and gifting, so this was a natural for me.

Of course, my final job before I entered full–time ministry was serving as Chief Financial Officer for a megachurch. I absolutely loved it, and the pastor was a great boss. I’m fascinated when I observe the financial habits of church folks. Those who gave generously were prosperous; those who did not struggled. Some people think that generous people give because they are prosperous. However, the fact is that the generosity is what leads to abundance. This truth is my soap box. I have been a tither since I was 18 years old, and God has always provided for me in a miraculous way.

You mentioned that all your previous jobs have been stressful. In your book, 30 Days to Taming Your Stress, you talk about enjoying the present. What steps have you taken to do this in your own life, and what benefits have resulted?

Life can move at such a fast pace that sometimes it seems the only way to stay ahead is to focus on tomorrow. It is stressful trying to live in two time periods: both the present and the future. What I try to do—and it is a daily challenge—is to discipline my thoughts and force them to stay in today. I really listen to and fully engage the people with whom I interact. I try not to take energy from today by lending it to tomorrow. Whether I’m with my husband, my friends, relatives, or others, I make every mental effort to savor the moment, to appreciate the time. This really enhances my relationships because people know that I care about them and their issues. I focus on them; I try not to be distracted by the people around us. I consciously put my issues on the back burner—until it’s my turn to talk. I avoid people who are too selfish to let me have my turn.

Many people have desired to quit their jobs and to pursue full–time ministry. You made that leap about a year ago. How hard was that? Were you afraid?

It was very hard to leave my job as CFO of the church; in fact, it was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made in my career. I kept thinking, “I’m in my mid–50’s, and this is no time to be getting out of my comfort zone. Retirement is only seven years away.” Notwithstanding, I know that the worst place ever to be is outside of the will of God. What I have learned through it all is that the path to my destiny requires transitions to another road from time to time—just like going on a trip. If you disobey and refuse to make the transition, you just might miss your destiny. God has proven faithful. He really does provide where He guides. Of course, I have also found that it’s a lot easier to walk by faith when you have been obedient in your tithes and offerings. You have a certain expectancy of His provision.

You and your husband, Darnell, have been happily married for almost 28 years. What is the most important thing marriage has taught you?

Marriage has taught me how not to be selfish. I was 29 when I married Darnell, and I was earning a good income as a CPA. I had some pretty set ideas about not sharing money totally. I watched my mother suffer abuse because she was dependent on my father for financial support, and I vowed never to have to depend on a man. I made getting an education “king.” Without it, I felt, women were powerless. Fortunately, I was exposed early on to a couple of spiritually mature older women who helped me to change my thinking. Education is indeed important; becoming one and understanding God’s order for the family is more important. It has been my joy to submit to this wonderful, godly and caring man that God prepared just for me. It is amazing the results that you get when you do things God’s way. Darnell and I have great communication, and we can talk for hours on end about out fears, needs and dreams.

Being a behavioral consultant, I feel that I absolutely must make every effort to model what I teach about effective communication and the importance of appreciating personality differences. God has given us great grace in this area. We are opposites in so many ways.

One of the tough topics you address through your writing is something we all have a hard time with: controlling what we say. Why do you think we are so prone to struggle in this area? Why did you to write 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue?

The tendency of the natural man is to act contrary to God’s ways in general. It’s only “natural” that since we must use our tongues so much during the course of a day, we will eventually offend somebody or God Himself. While James 3:8 states that no man can tame the tongue, we must understand the things that are impossible with man are possible with God.

The book started out as a personal challenge. It was inspired by an incident in which I used my tongue foolishly and caused someone distress. I was so disappointed with myself that I decided to embark upon a period of verbal abstinence or a “tongue fast” from every negative use of the tongue mentioned in the bible. Whenever someone would try to engage me in a negative conversation, I’d say, “tongue fast!” It became a popular exclamation at my office at the church. Our prayer minister insisted that God wanted me to put the principles in a book. I reluctantly did so, and it has changed my conversations and those of many others. I’m overwhelmed at the response. You really become sensitized to the negative propensities of your tongue once you attempt to do the 30–day fast. I love to read the emails where entire churches have taken up the challenge with great results.

When the work is done and it’s time for play, what are you most likely to be doing?

Work is play for me; however, I try to pursue balance in my life at all cost. I love playing with children and I have loads of nieces and nephews. They are my joy, and I make time for them. I attend their school functions as much as I can.

I keep the image of a stool uppermost in my mind. Every leg must be balanced or it will be very rickety. If a single leg is too short, too long, or not firmly connected to the base, the stool may collapse. Staying connected to my spiritual base is critical for me to have a fulfilling life.

I try to get double duty out of my time. So, I enjoy power walking with friends. I’m still more schedule driven than I probably should be, but I find that I can connect more frequently with friends if I block specific slots of time for them. Some of them don’t always like those limitations. However, I’m a big believer in setting strong boundaries, because ultimately we are responsible for our quality of life.

What are you excited about doing next?

I’m looking forward to serving on the board of World Vision USA beginning in January 2008. I love the work that the organization is doing all over the world—especially the support for the children and families who have been orphaned by the AIDS pandemic in Africa.

I also have some pretty exciting writing projects coming up in the next twelve months, issues that I’m passionate about and for which I want to present the Word of God as a solution. I had brain surgery on January 4, 2007 which relived me of a lot of debilitating pain. I’m just excited about life and ready to impact the world for Jesus!