What if the thing you’ve been trying to fix isn’t actually the problem?
One sentence from this week’s podcast has stayed with me long after we stopped recording. We spend so much time managing symptoms that we forget they’re actually clues. That challenged me.
Because if I’m honest, I spend a lot of time treating the symptoms. When I feel overwhelmed, I reorganize my calendar. When I feel behind, I work harder. When I feel uncertain, I make another plan. When life feels out of control, I try to regain it.
None of those things are inherently wrong. But they can become distractions from the deeper work God wants to do.
This week’s conversation with Heather O’Brien wasn’t really about anxiety. It was about trust.
She introduced the idea of what she calls silent anxiety—the kind that doesn’t always look obvious. The kind that hides behind productivity. Behind perfectionism. Behind overthinking.Behind constantly trying to anticipate every possible outcome.
The kind that whispers, “If I can just stay ahead, maybe I’ll finally feel safe.”
I don’t know about you, but I’ve believed that lie more times than I’d like to admit. Especially in seasons of waiting. Because waiting has a way of exposing whatever we’ve been trusting.
Sometimes that’s Jesus. Sometimes it’s our plans. Sometimes it’s our ability to control what happens next.
One thing Heather said that I haven’t stopped thinking about is that God wasn’t simply asking her to change her schedule. He was asking her to become more flexible.
That sounds simple until you realize flexibility requires surrender. It means holding your plans with open hands. It means allowing interruptions to become invitations instead of inconveniences. It means believing God is still good when your carefully crafted timeline falls apart.
And honestly? That’s much harder than creating another to-do list.
Romans 12 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Not by becoming more productive. Not by becoming more efficient. By becoming new.
That’s the invitation Jesus keeps extending. Not behavior modification. Heart transformation.
Maybe the frustration you’ve been feeling isn’t the real issue. Maybe the exhaustion isn’t either. Maybe they’re simply clues pointing to places where Jesus wants to bring freedom. Not shame. Freedom.
Because God isn’t only interested in changing your circumstances. He’s committed to changing you.
And while we often pray for answers, He keeps inviting us into deeper trust. Maybe that’s what becoming looks like. Not finally getting everything under control. But finally believing that He already is.
-Reanna
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