'Duck Dynasty' couple talks financial struggles faced early in marriage, how God provided
Willie and Korie Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" fame recently shared how they maintained their faith-based servanthood amid financial hardships early in their marriage.
The Robertson parents joined their daughter Sadie Robertson Huff on her podcast last week. The Christian couple, who married in 1992, offered advice about gratitude and generosity even in times of financial struggle.
"I would say I think that we were both really fortunate to be modeled that from our parents. Both of us had parents that lived different lives. He lived on the river. I lived in the neighborhood," Korie Robertson said. "We lived very differently, but generosity was very much at the root of both of our families."
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She added that "both of our families had homes that were very open," and she was brought up with "the idea that people were much more important than things."
"I think that even when we were newlyweds and first married, we had that example. So, we still lived very generously and also gratefulness even during that time period," Korie Robertson added.
"It's kind of like what you really do with little; you will actually do with much. I think it's really a truth. And not that we've ever been perfect in any of it or lived perfectly. There's probably been seasons where we lived it out better than others. But, I think that we both had that at our core and our base because we saw that in our parents."
Willie Robertson said he grew up in a family with little money. When he married Korie Robertson, who came from a financially stable upbringing, he said they faced an adjustment period of understanding how they approach money.
"I think everybody would agree that we were really poor. We just didn't have a lot of money or things or anything as far as me and mom and dad and my brothers," Willie Robertson said. "So they'd come out of the hardship and then had big dreams and aspirations. Dad worked hard, mom worked hard, but there just wasn't a lot of cash or money."
Willie Robertson recalled a date at the mall when they were younger when Korie Robertson was thirsty and wanted a Coke to drink. But Willie Robertson replied, "Well, I don't have any money."
When she replied, "But, I'm thirsty," he responded, "That doesn't change the fact that I don't have any money.'"
While the Robertsons found humor in their former financial struggles, the couple credits God for helping them to have "a heart of gratefulness" and "a heart of generosity" even before becoming famous reality television stars.
"I think that can be in your heart. But also, it's a constant thing where you have to learn and put those actions into it. It's a decision that you have to make, and I think you can grow in that," Willie Robertson said.
"When I think about gratitude, I was thinking of James where he says, ' Faith without action is dead.' And then, I think about gratitude or thankfulness without action; it's really not that big of a deal. If you're just saying 'thank you,' If you don't turn that into something and put that into 'I'm so thankful and I'm so grateful, ... now I'm going to go and help others,' ... to me, that's the real action point."
Korie Robertson said she believes that "gratitude and generosity" come with "perspective" because even when they had financial struggles, they still had a roof over their heads and food to eat.
"When we were early married, that was, you know, a lean time for us. We were having to be careful about what we bought, and we couldn't go out to eat or we very rarely went out to eat. ... But putting it in perspective, we were so blessed, and we had so much more than so many others," Korie Robertson said.
Korie Robertson said gratitude and generosity are more possible when people remember what God has blessed them with, even if it isn't as much as someone else.
Helping others, she said, is a great way to fix a person's mind on the love of God and not on what someone feels they are missing, adding that "it doesn't have to be something that big. It can be just small things."
"If you notice somebody that needs food, you know, helping them out at the grocery store," Korie Robertson said. "If it's not financial, it could just be noticing. Noticing people and noticing things and where you can step in to help."
Korie Robertson stated that "you have control over your thoughts" and that "you're in charge of you, and you are in charge of your thoughts."
"I do think it does start with what you think about and what you ruminate on," she said. "You start thinking about what you don't have or if you think about what you do have and the blessings."
Nicole Alcindor is a reporter for The Christian Post.
