There’s a version of obedience many of us learned somewhere along the way that sounds a little like this:
“If I do the right things, God will bless me.”
“If I obey perfectly, nothing bad will happen.”
“If I surrender enough, maybe I can control the outcome.”
And honestly? I think a lot of us are exhausted trying to live that way.
This week on the podcast, I sat down with Kaylee Hollingsworth for one of the most honest conversations about obedience, fear, surrender, control, and what it actually means to walk with God — not just perform for Him.
We talked about the subtle ways we can approach obedience like a transaction instead of a relationship, how easy it is to “surrender” while still death-gripping the outcome behind our backs, and why so many of us are trying to be useful for God instead of simply being with Him.
One of the biggest things that stuck with me from this conversation was this idea:
God isn’t handing us assignments and sending us off alone.
He’s inviting us into work He’s already doing.
That perspective changes everything.
Because obedience suddenly becomes less about pressure and performance…
and more about trust, intimacy, and staying in step with Him.
We also talked about:
why obedience rooted in fear feels so different than obedience rooted in love
the struggle of wanting to control outcomes
how striving can quietly replace surrender
why usefulness isn’t the same thing as faithfulness
and how God’s presence matters more than productivity
If you’ve ever felt afraid of “messing up God’s plan,” wondered whether you’re doing enough, or felt stuck trying to earn God’s approval through performance… I truly think this episode will encourage you.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here and don’t forget to subscribe, follow the show, and share it with a friend who needs this reminder too.
Have a great rest of your week and thanks for being here!
Love, Mykah (and Nimbus)
