Overwhelmed by Good Things? How to Know What God Is Asking You to Say Yes To

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by all the good things you've said yes to?

Not bad things. Not things you necessarily regret. Good opportunities. Things you're excited about. Things that might even be part of what God is doing in your life. But somehow, somewhere along the way, the things that were supposed to bring you joy started bringing you stress instead. My new friend Tannera found herself in that exact place.

In this episode of Perspectives Into Practice, we're talking about what happens when our schedules are full, our commitments keep growing, and we start wondering how we're supposed to do everything we've agreed to. Tannera shares how she and her husband intentionally seek God about what He has for them each year. But as new opportunities came along, she found herself saying yes to more and more things.

Between work, building businesses, serving in church, beginning the adoption process, pursuing education, and developing new skills, she reached a point where she felt completely overwhelmed.
So she went to God with a question.

What needs to come off my plate?
And His response brought her right back to something she'd forgotten.
What had He actually asked her to do in the first place?

Because sometimes we get so excited about all the possibilities in front of us that we start adding things God never asked us to carry. And before we know it, we're exhausted, frustrated, and wondering why we don't have time to sit with Him anymore.

One of the things Tannera shares that really stood out to me is how her yes to all those good things had slowly become a no to spending time with God. Not intentionally. But it happened.

And I think that's something we need to be willing to look at in our own lives. We also talk about the difference between what we believe we're capable of and what God is actually asking us to do.
Because sometimes we need to recognize that we've taken on too much and something needs to go.

Other times, we might be holding on to an old belief about ourselves that God is asking us to challenge. The important thing is learning to bring both of those possibilities to Him instead of deciding the answer before we've even asked.

Tannera shares some really practical ways she's learning to examine her commitments, recognize the expectations she's placed on herself, and bring her thoughts back into alignment with God's Word. And I love that this isn't about doing more. It's about knowing what matters in the season God has you in right now.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Recognizing when good things have become overwhelming

• Learning to say no without feeling guilty

• Knowing what God has actually asked you to do

• Recognizing the difference between God's direction and your own expectations

• Why every good opportunity isn't necessarily for your current season

• Protecting your relationship with God when life gets busy

• Recognizing when busyness is stealing your joy and peace

• Learning to slow down and seek God before saying yes

• Understanding your priorities in different seasons of life

• Recognizing when you're trying to outrun God's timing

• Letting go of things you've already invested time or money into

• Challenging the beliefs you've developed about your own capacity

• Recognizing the difference between a thought that feels true and what God's Word says is true

• Taking your thoughts captive and replacing lies with biblical truth

• Understanding that real emotions don't always tell us the truth

• Learning to love and serve the people in your life in ways that matter to them

• Asking practical questions before taking on another commitment

• Finding peace by protecting the things God has called you to prioritize

One of my favorite practical takeaways from this conversation is the three questions Tannera asks herself when she's feeling overwhelmed:

What am I doing?
Why am I doing it?
Should I be doing it?

Simple questions, but they can reveal so much about what we've taken on and why.
Because just because we can do something doesn't mean we should.
And just because something is good doesn't mean it's for right now.

Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is put something back on the shelf and trust that if God wants us to pick it up later, He'll show us when.

Tannera's final perspective is one I hope you'll carry with you:
Know your yes.

Take some time to ask God what He's actually calling you to in this season.
And then let that yes help you recognize what needs to be a no.
Friend, maybe there's an "I can't" you've been carrying for so long that you haven't stopped to ask whether it's still true.
Or maybe you've been saying "I can" to so many things that you've forgotten to ask whether you should. You don't have to turn either one into another reason to do more.
Just bring it to God.
Ask Him whether this is a boundary He's asking you to honor or a belief He's asking you to grow beyond.
And then give Him room to answer.

You can learn more about Tannera and connect with her at CommunicationArchitect.org.

If you're looking for a place to grow in your faith alongside other women who are doing the same, I'd love to invite you into The Story Haven. It's our free Christian community where we're learning more about God, spending time in His Word, praying for one another, sharing what He's doing in our lives, and building genuine relationships along the way.

Join us at TheStoryHaven.net or download The Story Haven app to take the community with you.

And if God is doing something in your life right now that you feel called to share, I'd love to hear about it. You don't need a platform, a ministry, or a perfectly finished testimony. Visit PerspectivesIntoPractice.com to learn more about becoming a guest on the podcast.