You Thought God Was Pushing You—It Was Fear in Disguise

What if the voice pushing you to do more, be more, and prove yourself… isn’t from God at all?

We’ve been talking about how the society we live in leads us down the road to burnout.
But it’s not just about the hustle—it’s about how hustle rewires us.

From a young age, we learn that our value comes from doing, not being.

We’re praised for accomplishments, rewarded for pushing through, and quietly applauded for self-sacrifice.

We’re told that rest is laziness, that productivity is virtue, and that success is the gateway to worthiness.

If we just hustle hard enough, we’ll be safe. Seen. Secure.

And so we internalize those beliefs.
They shape our thoughts.
They drive our motivation.
They become the lens through which we see the world—and ourselves.

This isn’t just a cultural pattern. It’s a spiritual issue.
Because when your worth is rooted in what you produce, it becomes harder and harder to hear the still, small voice of God reminding you: You were worthy before you ever achieved a thing. Because you have been fearfully and wonderfully made.

And over time, it gets harder to tell which voice is God—and which one is fear.

Let’s be honest—society is proving in real time that it cannot be trusted to lead us toward peace. From broken systems to shifting values, the world keeps showing us its priorities. So we have to ask: are we putting more trust in a failing system than in a faithful God?

That mindset became second nature to me when I was young. I didn’t even realize how deep it ran—or how damaging it was—until much later. At the time, I thought I was just doing what needed to be done to succeed. I genuinely believed I was walking in purpose— and to be clear, I still believe God planted the desire in me to become a doctor. But I didn’t walk into that calling fully trusting God to carry me through it.

I carried the calling, but also the weight of trying to make it happen all on my own. I was operating from my fear of inadequacy. 

And one of the clearest glimpses into that mindset showed up in college. I had a wake-up routine that makes me cringe...

If I needed to take a nap before working on an assignment (likely in the middle of the night), I’d set a custom alarm on my computer. Not just a chime or buzzer. It was Lil Jon—screaming in my ears with violent lyrics and loud & HEAVY bass.
And when the alarm went off, the entire screen went black with bold red letters screaming at me: “WAKE UP OR YOU WILL FAIL.”

Let that sink in.

That was the energy I fueled my success with: fear.
Fear of failing. Fear of being forgotten. Fear of not being good enough.

And what’s worse? I thought it was funny.
I’d joke about it. But deep down, I was exhausted.
Because no matter how much I achieved, the bar always moved.
And I never felt like I could stop.

I was doing everything the world told me would make me feel successful—and I still felt empty.

That wasn’t motivation. That was internalized oppression that I weaponized against myself to scare myself awake.

I eventually learned I couldn’t keep trusting our society's formula to lead me toward peace.

God did not design you to hustle in search of perfection or holiness. The Bible says it plainly:

Don't miss that first part: “Why should you destroy yourself?” That is an extreme impulse we ought to avoid.

Perfectionism is not only unnecessary—it’s spiritually dangerous.

That means you don’t have to complete it alone. There is a lack of trust in God at work if you feel like you do.

When I finally surrendered my need to overachieve...
When I stopped treating myself like a project to perfect…
I started walking in a true and powerful purpose.
And sis, that purpose felt lighter than anything I’d ever carried.

Yes—eventually, I became a doctor. I built a family. I followed the passion God placed in my heart.

But I brought my toxic college mindset into every new season with me.

When I wasn’t achieving, I felt lost.

When I was resting, I felt guilty.

When I couldn’t “do it all,” I felt like I wasn’t enough.

That all came crashing down after I brought my son into the world.

Because that’s when the burnout truly hit—and it didn’t just touch my energy.

It hit my spirit.

I remember one night lying in bed, feeling overwhelmed from everything I needed to do. Feeling hollow from a lack of self-care.

I whispered to God, “I know I’ve been blessed. So why do I feel like I’m drowning in these blessings?”

And the answer came—not as a rebuke, but as a gentle question:

Who are you trusting more—Me or your own strength?

That was the beginning of a shift.

I began letting go.

Letting myself rest.

Letting God carry what I was never meant to hold.

And here’s the miracle: the seeds God planted in my youth —the calling to serve, to heal, to lead—still grew even in burnout.

The calling had always been divine. But my mindset had distorted how I carried it.

It took years of healing and surrender to finally see healthy fruit.

Sis, if you’re feeling this—pause and breathe. What you're carrying is heavy, and you were never meant to carry it alone. Helping women release that weight—without guilt—is what I’ve been called to do.

Here are three ways to begin shifting:

1. Catch the Voice: Notice when you're harsh with yourself. Is that God’s tone—or culture’s conditioning? God is gentle with us. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." His voice is not one of shame or pressure— but of peace, love, and quiet strength. When correction comes, it comes with compassion. When rest is needed, God invites it. When you catch the harsh voice, the one given to you by our culture, don't rebuke it right away. Just notice it, forgive it, and remind it of what Jesus says.

2. Interrupt the Hustle: Build sacred pauses into your day. Not because you “earned it,” but because you’re worthy of rest. God built rest into creation— not as an afterthought, but as part of the rhythm of flourishing. Sabbath is a MANDATE. Even Jesus stepped away from the crowds. You shouldn't wait until you’re exhausted to take a break. Let your rest be prophetic—a declaration that your worth is not in your work. There is no pressure with this; the breaks don't have to be long to be effective.

3. Reclaim Your Definition of Excellence: Excellence isn’t perfection. It’s alignment. It’s showing up with presence and purpose, not pressure. True excellence is Spirit-led, not fear-fueled. It’s grounded in clarity, not chaos. When you release the need to “get it all right,” you open up space to actually do what matters most—and do it well. Excellence is not about how much you produce, but how faithfully you show up to what God has called you to. Trusting God to fill in the gaps where you are lacking.

These shifts take work— and unlearning. It is a PROCESS. You don’t have to navigate that alone.

Don't wait until you’re on the edge of collapse to do something different (like I did).

If you recognize yourself in these words—if your spirit feels seen—then that’s the Holy Spirit nudging you away from the harm of burnout. Toward healing. Toward ease. Toward freedom.

Burnout doesn’t just fade with time. It grows in silence. But when you name it, face it, and get support— it can be reversed.

Let today be the day you stop carrying what was never yours to hold.

This kind of transformation is sacred—but it’s not meant to happen in isolation. This is the soul work we do in my coaching program. I’ve distilled what took me years into a program that walks you through the same transformation in just a few months.

We meet 1:1 on a regular basis. Together, we untangle the toxic thought patterns keeping you stuck in overdrive and realign your rhythm with God’s design for your life. You’ll receive mindset-shifting spiritual teachings, personalized action plans, and compassionate accountability to help you stay on track.

I’ll call out the fear that’s been driving you, help you troubleshoot what’s not working, and walk with you as you embody new habits that serve both your purpose and your peace.

You’ll learn to trust God more than grind. To stop confusing pressure with purpose. And to build rhythms that restore, not deplete.

It’s not about doing more. It’s about becoming who God created you to be.

If this resonated with you... if you are a high-achieving woman of faith who’s tired of carrying the weight of perfectionism, performance, and pressure—I'd love to hear from you.

Reply to me with the word FREEDOM to schedule a free 1:1 discovery session with me.

Let’s uncover the root of your burnout—and map your path forward.

Because freedom isn’t just possible. It’s promised. And it’s more powerful when you walk it with support.

You are already worthy. You don’t have to prove it.
Walk in that truth today.

With love and power,
Dr. Devin
liberatedpathscoaching.com 

👋🏾 P.S. This space is sacred, and it’s growing. If you're new here, welcome to The Spirit-Led Path to Ease. I’m so glad you’ve joined us.

We’re building toward something more interactive—live touchpoints, community connection, and real-time growth. You’ll be the first to know when it drops if you are subscribed. I cannot wait to walk this path with you in deeper and more dynamic ways.