The Cost of Independence: How God Uses Pressure to Break Self-Reliance
- Apr 29
- 4 min read
Walking on Water When Life Feels Like It’s Drowning You
There’s something about the story of Peter who steps out onto the water, that hits different when you’ve actually lived it.
We love to quote it. We love to preach it. But living it? That’s a different kind of faith.
Because stepping out of the boat sounds powerful… until you realize it means standing in the middle of a storm.
The wind is loud. The waves are aggressive. Nothing feels stable. Nothing feels certain.
And yet... Jesus says, “Come.”
When the Storm Becomes Louder Than the Savior
Peter did something most people never will.. he stepped out.
But what caused him to sink wasn’t the storm itself…It was when the storm became more real to him than the Savior standing in front of him.
And if I’m being honest... that was me.
There was a season in my life where I felt like I was standing on water, but everything around me was crashing in.
I was home with my baby. My husband lost his job. We couldn’t get rental assistance because a government shutdown affected the grants those programs depended on. Doors weren’t opening. Jobs weren’t coming through.
Bills stacked up. Rent fell behind. And eventually… we received a summons to court for eviction.
Nothing about it made sense.
Seeing What God Showed Me, But Not Seeing It Manifest
In the middle of that storm, I could see something different.
I could envision us still in our home. safe, covered, provided for. It felt real. Almost like God was showing me, “I’ve already handled this.”
But my reality didn’t match what I saw.
And that’s where faith gets stretched.
Because it’s one thing to believe when things are working out…It’s another thing to believe when nothing is changing.
I cried more times than I can count. I prayed, “God, help my unbelief.”
I questioned myself.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Am I not doing enough?”
“Why isn’t anything working?”
I felt like I was hanging on by a thread.
But I made a decision: If I’m going to hang by a thread…let it be the hem of His garment.
Choosing Faith When Everything Says Fear
Every day became a choice.
A choice to remind myself:
God is bigger than this storm
Just because I don’t see movement doesn’t mean He isn’t working
There is purpose in this season
But the pressure didn’t just come from the situation, it came from people.
“Wouldn’t God have helped by now?”
“Maybe this isn’t His will.”
“It’s okay to just go get a job.”
And here’s the tension…
I kept going back to God asking,“Do I get a job, or do I focus on the business?”
And every single time, I felt clear direction:
Focus on what I gave you.
Meanwhile, opportunities were growing.Connections were forming.Leadership was developing. But financially?It still felt stuck.
That’s when I realized, this wasn’t just natural.
It felt like a spiritual resistance. A weight. A stronghold trying to shake my faith.
When God Breaks Your Dependence on You
What I didn’t realize at the time was this:
God wasn’t just trying to change my situation.. He was transforming me.
I had built my life on independence. On figuring it out. On making things happen.
And without even knowing it…I had hardened my heart to receiving help.
Even from God.
That season forced me to depend on Him in a way I never had before.
Not when it was convenient. Not when it made sense.But when it felt like everything was falling apart.
The Purpose of the Storm
Seasons like this will either break you…or build you into who you were always called to be.
Because growth doesn’t happen in comfort.Stretching doesn’t happen when everything is easy.
Even in the story of The Book of Job, when everything was taken and everything was shaken, God still used it.
What the enemy meant to destroy,
God used to develop.
And that’s what He did in me.
You Won’t Leave the Storm the Same
Here’s what I know now:
When you keep your eyes on Jesus, even when they’re filled with tears…When you keep walking, even when it doesn’t make sense…When you keep believing, even when nothing is changing…
You don’t come out of the storm weaker.
You come out refined. Stronger. Unshakable.
You come out as someone who knows God will come through, because you’ve seen Him sustain you when nothing else could.
Final Thought
The waves will always try to get your attention.
They’ll crash loud. They’ll feel urgent. They’ll try to convince you they matter more than the One calling you forward.
But the real question is:
What are you going to focus on?
The storm…or the hand of Christ reaching for you?
Because even when you feel like you’re sinking
He’s still right there.
And He’s still saying:
“Come.”
🙌 You Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone
If you’re in a season where nothing is adding up and everything feels like it’s pressing in on you, I want you to know you’re not alone. There are tools rooted in Gods truth and grace available to help you stay steady when life feels unstable. Be faith-led, pressure-free, and rooted in your worth, not your circumstances.
Because financial peace starts with heart work.
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