Feeling Overwhelmed? How to Choose Your Next Faithful Step
Monday, August 03, 2026
Feeling Overwhelmed?
How to Choose Your Next Faithful Step
Reflection from Episode 57 of A Cup of Hope
🎧 Listen to this episode right here or on your favorite podcast platform:
When Life Feels Like a Tangled Rubber Band Ball
There was a season in my life when everything felt like one enormous knot.
I remember sitting in counseling and trying to explain what was happening inside me. The best description I could come up with was a giant ball of tangled rubber bands.
Have you ever seen one of those?
One rubber band is wrapped around another.
That one is caught underneath three more.
Everything is pulled tightly together, and you can't tell where one rubber band begins or another one ends.
That was how my life felt.
My marriage.
My finances.
My children.
My emotions.
My faith.
My future.
Every problem seemed connected to every other problem.
The issue wasn't that I didn't want things to change.
I desperately wanted things to change.
I simply couldn't figure out where to begin.
Maybe you've been there too.
When everything feels connected, it's easy to believe you have to solve everything before you can move forward.
But that's not how God usually works.
Throughout Scripture, He rarely hands people the entire map.
He gives them enough light for the next step.
Not the next fifty.
The next one.
You Don't Have to Untangle Your Whole Life
Have you ever looked at your life and honestly thought,
"I don't even know where to start?"
Not because you're lazy.
Not because you don't care.
But because every part of your life seems connected to every other part.
Your finances affect your stress.
Your stress affects your health.
Your relationships affect your ability to think clearly.
Before long, everything feels tangled together.
You know something needs to change, but because you don't know where to begin, you end up doing nothing.
But what if you don't have to untangle your whole life today?
What if you only need to find one faithful next step?
Today's Cup of Hope ☕
Wisdom isn't waiting until you're certain.
Wisdom is prayerfully choosing the next faithful step and trusting God as you take it.
I love that reminder because it changes the question.
Instead of asking, "How do I fix my whole life?"
we begin asking, "What is the next faithful step God is inviting me to take?"
Which Burner Needs Your Attention?
A Simple Summer Planning Practice
Imagine that the major areas of your life are burners on a stove.
Your faith.
Your health.
Your finances.
Your relationships.
Your family.
Your work.
Your home.
Your emotional healing.
Several burners may be on at the same time.
Some may be quietly simmering.
Some may not require much attention right now.
And one may be boiling over.
When one burner is boiling over, you do not try to adjust every burner at once. You give your attention to the one that needs you most.
That does not mean the other areas of your life are unimportant.
It means you have prayerfully identified where your attention and energy are most needed in this season.
Ask yourself:
- Which area feels like it is boiling over?
- Which problem could create the most damage if I continue ignoring it?
- Which area, if addressed, might bring relief to several other parts of my life?
- Where might God be asking me to focus for the next season?
For you, that area might be your health.
It might be your marriage.
It might be grief.
It might be your finances.
It might be healing after betrayal.
It might be finally admitting that you need support.
You are not choosing the only area that matters.
You are simply choosing where to begin.
Stop Asking What You Can Fix
Once you identify the area that needs your attention, the next question becomes:
What investment could I make over the next 90 days that would move me toward the life God is inviting me to build?
Notice that I did not ask:
“What can I fix?”
I asked:
“What can I invest in?”
Healthy change is usually built through consistent investment over time.
One area I have chosen to invest in during this season is my physical health.
My long-term goal is not simply to complete a 5K. Running a race is one milestone.
The bigger goal is becoming stronger, healthier, and better able to steward the body God has given me.
That is why I have been seeing a chiropractor.
I have started working with a personal trainer.
I have started running again.
None of those things is the final destination.
They are investments in the direction I want my life to go.
Your investment may look completely different.
It may mean scheduling counseling.
Joining a support group.
Taking a class.
Working with a coach.
Meeting with a financial professional.
Joining a Bible study.
Setting one important boundary.
Making a doctor’s appointment.
Or asking one safe person for help.
The specific investment is not the point.
The point is choosing one area, investing intentionally for this season, and taking the next faithful step in front of you.
☕️ One Last Sip
"You do not have to untangle your whole life before you begin."
You do not have to untangle your whole life before you begin.
You do not have to know exactly how everything will work out.
You do not have to wait until you feel completely certain.
You only need to prayerfully choose the next faithful step and trust God to meet you there.
Choose one step.
Take it with God.
Trust Him with everything beyond it.
Growing Deeper
Set aside ten quiet minutes with God.
Write down the major areas of your life:
- Faith
- Health
- Finances
- Relationships
- Family
- Work
- Home
- Emotional healing or personal growth
You can rate each area from one to ten, or simply write a few words about what is happening in each one.
Then prayerfully ask:
- Which area is asking for my attention?
- Where have I been waiting for certainty before taking action?
- What might God be inviting me to do next?
- What is one action I can take this week?
Not five actions.
Not an entire life overhaul.
One action.
That action may be making an appointment, asking for help, attending a support group, setting a boundary, beginning a walking routine, or having one necessary conversation.
Your first step may simply be admitting that something needs your attention.
🎧 Listen to Episode 57 of A Cup of Hope: You Don't Have to Untangle Your Whole Life
A Prayer for Your Next Step
Lord,
Give me wisdom to recognize the next step, courage to take it, and faith to trust You with everything beyond it.
Help me release the pressure to solve everything today.
Show me where You are inviting me to focus, and give me the strength to move forward with You.
Amen.
Need Help Identifying Your Next Step?
Sometimes you do not need someone to solve your problems.
You simply need a safe place to slow down, sort through what feels overwhelming, and identify the area that needs your attention first.
A complimentary Clarity Session is designed to help you get your bearings, identify what matters most, and prayerfully choose your next faithful step.
BOOK YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CLARITY SESSION
If intimate betrayal is the area of your life asking for attention, Beautifully Broken may be one possible next step.
Beautifully Broken is a Christ-centered group coaching experience for women healing after intimate betrayal who want structured support, healthy community, and a safe place to rebuild.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN
🎧 Listen Now:
Episode 57: You Don't Have to Untangle Your Whole Life
🎙️ Listen on Spotify | 🍎Apple Podcasts | Full Episode Library
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend resources I truly use and believe in.
💛 Remember: God can take the broken pieces of your story and create something more beautiful than you ever imagined.
Hi, I'm Sherry
CEO Of Best Blog Ever
I’m a Life & Money Coach who helps women untangle the chaos of life and money and step into purpose with hope, confidence, and peace. These days, you’ll find me kayaking, being “Mimi,” tackling DIY projects I probably shouldn’t, and chasing big, brave goals (like training for a marathon in my 50s!).
PAGES
© 2026 Sherry Lynn Coaching |All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Contact