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:
1 Peter 5:7 NIV
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Setting the Stage:
Yesterday, we discussed freedom from the pressure to be a provider and how God is our total source of supply. Today, I want to take this teaching deeper by sharing a personal story that illustrates how looking to God as our source takes unnecessary pressure off our relationships.
The story is long, so I will give you a series of bullets in order to attempt to streamline it:
- Back in 2001, Isabella was an Enlisted Soldier (a Sergeant), and I was an officer. I asked her to pray about her future, and she came up with 4 options: 1) Be a nurse in the Army, 2) Be a nurse outside of the Army, 3) Be a Physician Assistant (PA) in the Army, and 4) Be a PA outside of the Army.
- I prayed and asked God to show me which of the 4 was His will. God responded. He said that Isabella was to be a Nurse in the Army. So that settled that. We dismissed the other 3 options.
- We were led to put in a packet for the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program (AECP) for Nursing, which is a very competitive program.
- I told a friend and a Medical office about it, and he said, “Isabella is a Supply Sergeant. It will be very hard for her to get selected for nursing. However, I know a retired Chief of Nursing, a general officer, and I can get her to write Isabella a letter of recommendation.”
- I was so happy. I told Isabella, and she was happy. My friend then told me the general said “YES” and she was writing the letter.
- Then God told me that I could not take the letter. Because if I did, I would be giving His credit and His glory to the general and not Him.
- I told my friend, and he said, “If you do not take this letter, Isabella will not get selected.” Of course, I did not take the letter, Isabella got selected, and God got the glory!
- Then, it came time to select a school. The #1 Nursing school in Texas (at the time) was 20 miles from our home, the Univ. of Mary Hardin Baylor. The Army said it was too expensive and more than they could pay. I told the Army we would pay the difference, and we did.
- So, in 2002, I went to Korea for two years, and Isabella went to school for two years. We knew we would be reunited in 2004 when Isabella became an officer.
- In her last semester, she told me she was struggling with a class, she had not gotten more than a 77 in this class, and she needed a 92 on the final to pass.
- She said, “If I don’t make it and don’t graduate, they’re going to make me a sergeant all over again. I’m going to get kicked out of the program, I won’t be a lieutenant, and I have to go back to the Army as a sergeant.” As soon as she said that, I thought about all the money we had invested as well.
- Some husbands would have put pressure on their wives, saying, “Hey! We have spent all this money, I am spending two years in Korea so you can focus on school, and you are about to fail! We will lose the money and you will have to be back to being a Sergeant. YOU BETTER PASS THIS CLASS!”
- But instead, I said, “Wait a minute, Babe. Remember what God said! This is God’s idea. So, either you will get a 92 or the Dean will make an exception for your to graduate, because God told me that you would be an officer!” Sure enough, she passed!
- Over 100 students started her program, and just over 60 graduated. Isabella was the only student of color in her class to graduate. God got the glory, and He continues to.
This experience taught us a powerful lesson that has shaped our marriage ever since: we are not each other’s sources, and we need to learn how to rest and trust in God as our source. I believe many marriages have fallen apart because one spouse has put undue pressure on the other spouse for certain things—whether finances, emotional support, or solutions to problems. When we don’t understand this truth, we place burdens on people that they were never designed to bear.
Living in THE GRACE LIFE means releasing others from the expectation of being our source and learning to trust God in every situation, regardless of what things look like in the natural.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Stop Looking to People As Your Source.
One of the greatest revelations you can receive is understanding that no human was designed to be your source—not your spouse, your parents, your boss, or your children. When we place the burden of being our source on another person, we set both them and ourselves up for disappointment and frustration.
How this applies to you:
— Many marriages deteriorate because one spouse puts undue pressure on the other to be their source of financial security, emotional fulfillment, or overall happiness. God never intended your spouse to carry this burden. Your spouse is your partner, not your provider.
— When your spouse fails to meet your expectations (which is inevitable if you’re looking to them as your source), you may respond with anger, disappointment, or resentment. These negative emotions can create a strain in your relationship, opening the door for the enemy to bring division.
— THE GRACE LIFE teaches you to look to God first for your needs to be met. This frees your spouse from the impossible task of being your everything. When both spouses are looking to God as their source, the pressure comes off the marriage, and true intimacy can flourish.
— In the workplace, looking to your job or boss as your source creates anxiety when the company struggles or your position feels threatened. Remember, your job is a channel, not the source. God can provide through many channels.
— Living in THE GRACE LIFE means you honor and appreciate the people God places in your life without the expectation that they will be your source. You can love people properly when you’re not depending on them to be what only God can be for you.
— Grace empowers you to receive from people without becoming dependent on them. You must learn to accept help and support without transferring your trust from God to the person He used as a channel of blessing.
2. The Grace to Trust God Through Impossible Situations.
Life will present you with situations where human solutions seem inadequate or non-existent. These moments are opportunities to experience God’s grace as you trust Him on another level.
How this applies to you:
— Think about our story with Isabella and her nursing program. The situation looked impossible—she needed a 92 on her final exam when she hadn’t scored above a 77 in weeks. But instead of putting pressure on her, I redirected her focus to what God said. My meditating on God’s promises and what He had already spoken over her life took the pressure off of her and me.
— When you’re faced with an impossible situation, you have two choices: you can either put pressure on people (including yourself) to somehow make it work, or you can put your trust in God and His grace to make a way where there seems to be no way.
— THE GRACE LIFE doesn’t mean you won’t face challenges or that your spouse or loved ones won’t struggle. It means that when these difficulties come, you know where to direct your focus—not on the problem, and not on pressuring others, but on God’s promises. Put pressure on what God said, and stop looking to others to be your source!
— Living in THE GRACE LIFE means you can speak faith into situations instead of fear. When Isabella called me worried about failing her exam, I could have joined her in panic. Instead, I spoke God’s promises over the situation and reminded her of what God had already declared.
— You’re not denying reality when you trust God in impossible situations; you’re simply acknowledging a higher reality—God’s promise trumps your problem. This is not blind faith; it’s faith with your eyes wide open to who God is and to what He has said!
— When you place your trust in God, you inspire others to do the same. Your example of faith in impossible situations can inspire those around you to also look to God as their source.
3. Taking the Pressure Off Your Relationships.
When we truly understand that God is our source, we can release the people in our lives from expectations they were never meant to fulfill. This is especially true in marriage, where the pressure to be everything to your spouse can be overwhelming.
How this applies to you:
— Here’s a principle I live by: “Whoever calls you has to keep you.” If God calls you to do something, then God will keep you while you’re doing what He said. If your spouse calls you to do something that God hasn’t confirmed, then your spouse is going to have to keep you because it was their idea, not God’s. This is why it’s so important to make sure you’re following God’s leading in your life decisions. If it’s God’s will, then it’s God’s bill! But if it’s your will, it’s your bill!
— Many couples fight about money, career decisions, or parenting because they’re looking to each other to provide security or solutions instead of looking to God together. Remember, you and your spouse are on the same team, facing the problem together with God as your source.
— There’s a big difference between supporting your spouse and being their source. Support says, “I’m with you as we both look to God.” Being a source says, “I need to fix this for you” or “You need to fix this for me.”
— In the story I shared, I could have easily blamed Isabella for potentially failing her class after all we had invested. But that would have added pressure to an already stressful situation. Instead, I chose to take the pressure off my wife by reminding her of God’s faithfulness. I knew that since God called her to be a nurse, God would keep her on that path. If God said it, we must look to Him to perform it!
— Sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is to stop trying to be the Holy Spirit in someone else’s life. Your job is not to convict, control, or change others—it’s to love them and point them to God as their source.
— Taking the pressure off doesn’t mean becoming passive or irresponsible. It means you stop trying to control outcomes and start trusting God’s process. I still expected Isabella to study and do her best, but I freed her from the burden of thinking her entire future depended solely on her performance.
— Living in THE GRACE LIFE means you can say to your spouse, your children, or your colleagues: “I believe in you, but more importantly, I believe in the God who is working in and through you.”
4. Redirecting Your Focus to God’s Promises.
One of the most powerful things you can do when facing uncertainty is to redirect your focus—and help others redirect theirs—from the problem to God’s promises.
How this applies to you:
— When Isabella was stressing, I didn’t just offer empty encouragement. I specifically reminded her of everything God had prophesied over our lives and how He had already brought us through so many steps of the journey. I grounded her faith in God’s proven faithfulness.
— Living in THE GRACE LIFE means you become skilled at identifying God’s promises that apply to your situation. The Bible is full of promises about God’s provision, protection, and purpose for your life. These aren’t just nice sayings—they’re spiritual resources you can draw on.
— Instead of rehearsing your problems in conversation with others, practice rehearsing God’s promises. What you constantly talk about reveals and reinforces what you truly believe.
— When others come to you with their problems, resist the temptation to either take responsibility for solving their issues or to simply offer human wisdom. Instead, help them redirect their focus to God’s promises and His faithfulness. In other words, point them to God!
— Grace gives you the ability to stand on God’s Word even when everything in the natural seems to contradict it. I knew God had said Isabella would be an Army nurse, so either she would pass the exam, or God would make another way. My confidence wasn’t in her ability but in God’s promise.
— THE GRACE LIFE reminds us that we don’t have to figure everything out—we just need to remember what God has already figured out and promised to us.
— The power of redirecting focus works in every area of life—finances, health, relationships, career. Whatever challenge you’re facing, there’s a promise in God’s word that directly addresses it. Find that promise, stand on it, and help others do the same. This is why I wrote the 150 Affirmations of Faith for Men and Women. These books help you to keep your focus on God’s promises, not your problems.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You are my total source of supply, and I release others from the burden of being my source.
I will no longer put pressure on my spouse, my family, my friends, or myself to be what only You can be in my life.
When facing impossible situations, I choose to stand on Your promises rather than pressuring others or caving to anxiety.
I redirect my focus from problems to promises, knowing that Your Word never fails.
I give others permission to be human by not expecting them to be my source of security, happiness, or fulfillment.
Your grace empowers me to take the pressure off my relationships and to direct everyone’s attention to You as our ultimate source.
I live free from the need to control outcomes because I trust Your process and Your timing.
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!
