VOICE OF TRUTH FOR TODAY
The Gift of Grace:
Learning to Speak Life Over Ourselves
Grace is one of those words we hear often in church. We know God extends it freely. We sing about it, pray for it, and thank Him for it.
But receiving grace for ourselves can be harder than believing it for everyone else. I grew up knowing God loved me and Jesus died for my sins, yet somewhere along the way I began believing I had to earn His approval. If I messed up, my response was simple: I’ll do better. I’ll try harder. It took years to understand that God doesn’t give me grace because I’ve done enough.
He gives grace because Jesus already did.
Paul records God’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (NLT).
That used to make me uncomfortable. Weakness? No, thank you! I wanted to be capable, strong, and put-together. But striving will always be insufficient. As women, we’re especially skilled at judging ourselves. We should be more patient. More spiritual. Better wives, moms, friends, Christians. When we fall short, our harshest critic is often our own voice.
Recently, my daughter described women at a photo shoot openly sharing their insecurities while celebrating one another instead of competing. They were speaking life and extending grace.
I thought, This is grace in action.
At a healing conference, I experienced something similar while journaling what I sensed God saying about me: You are loved. You are chosen. You are creative. You are a vessel I delight in using. I wasn’t earning grace. I was receiving it.
Grace doesn’t excuse sin—but it silences shame. It isn’t weakness; it’s strength born from surrender.
Sweet sister, your story is still unfolding. God isn’t disappointed in the process. He’s present in it. Receive His grace. Speak life over yourself. And let His strength give you wings to fly into the purpose He created you for.
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Excerpt from Voice of Truth Magazine
“Kingdom Promise: Abundance, Hope, and a Future” by Kelly Williams Hale