What If Your "Overwhelm" Is Just Untested Obedience?

"I’m just so overwhelmed."
Same, lovely. But let’s get honest: is it overwhelm... or avoidance dressed up in productivity clothes?

The Overwhelm Spiral We All Know Too Well

Tell me if this sounds familiar:

• You make the plan.
• You feel pumped.
• You do the first few steps.
• Resistance hits.
• You call it burnout, busyness, or "maybe this isn’t the right season."

But here’s a question that might sting before it sets you free:

What if that resistance is actually... an invitation?

Not to quit. Not to re-plan.
But to obey.

Overwhelm Isn’t Always a Signal to Stop

Let’s break this down. There are two kinds of overwhelm:

If your to-do list is full but your heart feels tangled...
It’s time to discern which kind of overwhelm is leading the dance.

Because here’s the plot twist:

Obedience often feels like overwhelm before it becomes breakthrough.

How Obedience Disguises Itself as Delay

The truth is, most of us don’t struggle with clarity.
We struggle with commitment to what God already whispered.

That launch?
That message?
That business move you keep praying over but not acting on?

Overwhelm is often the fog that forms when your soul knows—but your mind won’t move.

When You Know What to Do, But Don’t Do It

Let’s take it to Scripture for a second:

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror... and immediately forgets what he looks like." – James 1:23–24

That verse is savage.
But also... accurate.

You’ve already heard the call.
But instead of walking in it, you’ve built 14 funnels, designed 7 workbooks, and rewritten your niche again.

Spoiler alert: You’re not confused. You’re in delay.

How to Tell If You’re in a Season of Untested Obedience

Here are some signs that your overwhelm might be a divine tap on the shoulder:

• You’re constantly pivoting but never progressing.
• Every idea sounds good—until it’s time to act.
• You feel called but... weirdly tired all the time.
• You pray for clarity but secretly dread the answer.
• You’re collecting tools but not using any of them.

Overwhelm isn’t always a lack of time or energy.
Sometimes, it’s a lack of trust.

Untested Obedience Feels Like Friction

Imagine God handed you a seed and whispered, “Plant this.”

But instead, you researched soil types.
Compared watering schedules.
Spent three weeks journaling about your fear of harvest.

That’s where many women of faith get stuck:
Planning obedience instead of walking it out.

What to Do When You’re Overwhelmed (But Called)

Here’s your spiritual emergency kit:

1. Ask: "What's the last clear instruction I received?"

Go back to the last "yes" God gave you.
Not the Pinterest vision.
Not the IG advice carousel.
His word. His whisper.

Stick to that until the next instruction comes.

2. Stop Complicating What Needs Commitment

Obedience isn’t fancy.

It’s often awkward.
Usually scary.
And 99% of the time, not aesthetic.

But it works.

3. Name the Fear Behind Your Overwhelm

Try journaling these prompts:

• What am I afraid will happen if I follow through?
• What am I secretly avoiding?
• What version of me am I trying to protect?

Because often, the root of overwhelm isn’t pressure—it’s preservation.

4. Don’t Trust Your Feelings to Tell You the Full Truth

Feelings are valid. But they are not votes.

You can feel overwhelmed and obey.
You can feel scared and take action.
You can feel messy and still be on mission.

What Happens When You Obey Anyway?

Here’s what I’ve seen in myself and my coaching clients:

• Their clarity returned.
• Their energy renewed.
• Their results accelerated.
• Their peace deepened.

Not because the chaos vanished.
But because they stopped negotiating with their nudges.

Let This Be the Last Overwhelm Spiral You Enter

Overwhelm doesn’t always mean stop.
Sometimes it means start—differently.

So the next time you find yourself spiraling, ask:

Is this overwhelm a signal of overcommitment... or a signpost of untested obedience?

Then act accordingly.

Because lovely, your next level won’t unlock because you found the perfect plan.

It’ll unlock when you finally follow through on what’s already been whispered.