Today we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
Key scriptures for this year:
2 Corinthians? ?9?:?8? ?TPT??
“Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.”
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??Galatians? ?5?:?4? ?TPT??
“If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!”
Romans? ?6?:?14? ?ERV??
“Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace.”
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1 Corinthians? ?15?:?10? ?NIV??
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
Additional scriptures for today:
Philippians 4:19 NIV
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Matthew 6:31-32 NIV
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Setting the Stage:
Yesterday, we discussed that God is our total source of supply–El Shaddai, the all-sufficient one. Today, I want to address something that has been deeply embedded in many of our cultures, families, and upbringings: the pressure to be the provider. While responsibility and dependability are godly traits, taking on the pressure to provide–independent of God’s grace–can keep us from experiencing THE GRACE LIFE God intends for us. Let’s explore how we can balance being responsible while resting in God as our ultimate provider.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Your Culture vs. God’s Grace.
Many cultures teach us from a young age about the value of hard work, self-reliance, and “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.” Especially for men, the pressure to be the provider can be overwhelming–it’s drilled into us that our worth is tied to our ability to provide. This, in and of itself, can seem like a good thing. Most see it as laudable. However, today, I will explain how this mentality can actually keep us from living THE GRACE LIFE.
How this applies to you:
— Many of us grew up with a culture that taught us “you’re the provider” or “it all depends on you.” While these messages often come from good intentions, they can create a burden God never meant for you to carry without God.
— In many families, there’s always that “go-to person” who everyone depends on. Since my mother was the first of her siblings to make it to the United States, she was the one in her family. She had to “take care” of her mother and even her brothers and sisters in the Dominican Republic. Maybe you’re that person in your family–the one who takes care of elderly parents, supports your immediate family, mentors nieces and nephews, and helps siblings through tough times. While serving others is godly, carrying this responsibility independent of God’s grace puts too much weight on you.
— THE GRACE LIFE frees you from the pressure to perform as a provider. This doesn’t mean you stop providing; it means you do it from a different source–God’s grace flowing through you rather than your own striving.
— When you become everyone’s solution provider, you can unintentionally position yourself as a “god” in their lives. No human was designed to be anyone’s source. Only God qualifies for that position.
— Yesterday, I taught you that God is your El Shaddai, and I asked you who the first person you think of is when you have a need. I told you that the first person you think of is who you, consciously or unconsciously, believe your source is. If you think of God, He is your El Shaddai. But if your first thought was to call your Dad, then you are looking to him as El Sha-Dad, and God never intended for your parents to be your source!
— A key to living THE GRACE LIFE is understanding that while you may be a channel of provision for others, you are never the source. El Shaddai is the source, and you are God’s dependent.
— Any military person would understand that being a “dependent” means you’re listed on God’s records. You’re His responsibility, and He takes care of His own.
— Religion says “be responsible“–and that’s good. But THE GRACE LIFE says, “be response-able,” meaning that you are able to respond to any given situation because of God’s provision rather than striving to provide through your own efforts. God is able to make all grace abound towards you, so you are able to meet any need because God is able (2 Cor 9:8). Understanding this keeps the focus on God and not you.
2. The Pressure to Provide Creates Unnecessary Burdens.
The weight of being responsible for everyone and everything can lead to anxiety, burnout, and even pride. It subtly teaches us to rely on ourselves rather than God.
How this applies to you:
— Even Jesus said, “The poor you will have with you always.” He didn’t heal everyone or meet every need. We’re not called to be needs-based in our provision; we’re called to be Spirit-led. If you go around trying to meet everyone’s needs without being led by the Holy Spirit, then satan can manipulate you because he can easily create need. Jesus did not meet every need He saw because He was not needs-focused. He was Spirit-led. This is how we are supposed to live.
— When you take on the pressure to provide independently of God’s grace, you’re actually saying, “I’ve got this, God. I don’t need your help.” That’s pride disguised as responsibility.
— Many times, our stress comes from trying to be our own source. THE GRACE LIFE teaches us that God is our source, and we can exhale and rest, knowing the pressure isn’t on us to figure everything out.
— The world system trains you to look to your job, your savings, or your connections as your source. THE GRACE LIFE teaches you to look to God first, knowing that He often works through these channels but is never limited by them.
— I’ve watched many people, including my own mother, work themselves to exhaustion, sending money to family members, supporting relatives, and carrying financial burdens. In the world, this is seen as responsible and dependable. But if done without grace, it takes a tremendous toll.
— Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Are you weary from trying to be everyone’s provider? Jesus is offering you a lighter burden. This does not mean NO burden, but it does mean His burden. His burden is easy, and His yoke is light becuase you have the grace for it. But when you are doing things you do not have the grace for, it will be hard and heavy.
— Living in THE GRACE LIFE means you work hard (maybe harder than before), but you do it from a place of rest, not stress, because you’re not the one doing it; it’s the grace of God working through you.
3. From Provider to Channel: The Grace Perspective.
There’s a profound shift that happens when you move from seeing yourself as the provider to seeing yourself as a channel of God’s provision.
How this applies to you:
— God isn’t calling you to stop providing; He’s calling you to provide differently. God does not want you to provide from your limited resources but from His unlimited supply flowing through you.
— “Blessed to be a blessing” doesn’t mean everything you have is at all times for all people in all circumstances. It requires discernment. It means being led by the Spirit about how and when to be a blessing.
— When you understand you’re not the source, you stop putting pressure on yourself and others. This frees you to serve joyfully without the crushing weight of a responsibility you were not called to take on.
— You don’t have to prove your worth through provision. Your value doesn’t come from what you provide; it comes from who you are in Christ–a child of the King, completely accepted and beloved.
— THE GRACE LIFE positions you as a conduit, not a source. Rivers flow through channels; they don’t originate there. In the same way, God’s provision flows through you; it doesn’t originate with you.
— Living as a channel rather than a source brings profound peace. You no longer have to figure everything out or make everything happen. You simply need to stay connected to your Source.
— God’s grace enables you to be a generous provider without the stress of wondering if you’ll have enough. When you know El Shaddai is your source, and He is leading you to give something to someone, then even if it is something you actually need, you can do so freely without fear of lack because you know your source will never run out.
However, if you give without being led by the Holy Spirit, you may either: 1) be giving something away that God wanted you to keep and that you may need later, or 2) you may be getting in God’s way, because He wanted the other person to trust Him as their source, and you stepped in and took His place. When you do this, you think you are being a blessing, but you are actually getting in God’s way.
4. Learning to Be God’s Dependent.
There’s a beautiful paradox in the kingdom: the more we recognize our dependence on God, the more effective we become as providers for others.
How this applies to you:
— In military terms, a “dependent” is officially listed as someone the service member is responsible for. Similarly, you are God’s dependent–officially listed in His books as someone He takes full responsibility for.
— Being God’s dependent doesn’t make you weak; it makes you strong because you’re drawing from His unlimited resources rather than your limited ones.
— True freedom comes when you fully embrace your identity as God’s dependent while simultaneously embracing your role as a channel of His provision to others.
— As you learn to rest in God’s provision, you’ll find yourself able to provide for others without resentment, burnout, or pride because you are not the one doing it; it’s the grace of God flowing through you.
— Living in THE GRACE LIFE doesn’t mean becoming irresponsible; it means you become more responsible because you are learning to be led by God’s Spirit in all things. So, if you are led to respond to a need, you are doing so with God’s supply rather than your own impulses.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You are my total source of supply, and I am Your dependent.
I release all pressure to be the provider independent of Your grace and limitless supply.
I am not the source of provision for myself or others–I am simply a channel of Your endless resources.
I walk free from the cultural expectations that say my value is tied to my ability to provide. I am confident enough to rest in Your ability to provide through me!
Your grace empowers me to be a generous giver without fear of lack because my source never runs dry.
When needs arise, I look to You first, knowing that everything I need comes from Your hand.
I provide for others from a position of grace, not stress, because it’s Your power working through me.
I am living THE GRACE LIFE in 2025, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and prosper!
