When obedience feels heavy

The weight of your yes and the stress that comes with it

Stress? I get it. But let me be honest—when you see someone testifying about their radical faith to believe God, it’s easy to overlook the stress that comes with saying "yes" and walking it out. That tension might seem counterproductive to the reality that God is our peace and provider.

Yet here’s the truth: the flesh is weak and vulnerable, even as we’re on this journey toward being perfected. We’re not there yet.

According to scripture, the flesh and spirit will always be at odds—For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want (Galatians 5:17).

Every single day, we must choose to partner with what God has written by applying His Word to the reality of our circumstances.

Chile, I’m no stranger to obeying God despite how things look.

When He told me to move to Texas, I moved.

When He told me I was no longer hidden and my husband was coming soon, I believed—and now I’m married.

But let me tell you, the sober-mindedness required with each step of obedience is where everything not of God gets revealed.

One of my favorite quotes from Alicia Britt Chole says:
"I feel that trials do not prepare us for what’s to come as much as they reveal what we’ve done with our lives up to this point."

It’s never been about the future. It’s always about contentment in the now.
The peace in the now.
The joy in the now.
The perspective in the now.

Before I moved to Texas, the Lord told me I was a woman of transition. Looking back, I see a pattern of shifts every 3-4 years. The moments when God requires another "yes" are here again.

I was chatting with a friend recently about the cost of obedience. It sounds joyous, but it’s so sobering. Walking it out challenges everything you think you know. God uses these moments to reveal where you are and where your trust truly lies.

This time, the transition feels different—I get to walk it out with my husband. He’s exercising his faith muscles, and he gets to see mine in action. What’s unique about this season is the stress of change. It’s one thing to sense it, but when your partner hears the Lord too—months later—it hits differently.

The goal is to never move in anxiousness.

Obey at the pace of grace. Surrender how you feel to how God orchestrates it. Haste, stress, and anxiousness are a terrible trio when obeying God.

Here’s what I’ve learned from my history with Him: If it’s His will, He will provide—Where we fall short is trying to alter the timing. Don’t do that.

In due season, what’s meant to be will come to pass, working together for our good and the story God wrote.

Whatever God is calling you to in obedience, choose to obey.

Let what surfaces in your heart be dealt with through stillness, prayer, wise counsel, and community. Release what you can’t control. Let God be God—after all, He’s the one who gave you the instruction.

Take daily, intentional steps toward obedience:

• Clean the house.

• Donate unused items.

• Write the plan.

Whatever practical steps are needed, take them. But don’t get ahead of God in this season.

Can we really outrun Him? Nope.
Is He already there? Yeah.

But we can add unnecessary chapters to His original story through impatience and immaturity. And yet, even then, He already knew. That’s why this is happening—to reveal where you are right now.

With love,
Janae Carlee