“Holy Obedience: Moving With God When You’re Still Afraid”

In this episode, Silvia explores the gentle, relational kind of obedience, not legalism, not pressure, but the kind that frees us from fear and draws us back to who God created us to be.

Following Episode 3 (“Is it God or Fear?”), this episode answers the next big question:

“If I know it’s God… why is obedience still so hard?”

What You’ll Learn

1. What Holy Obedience Really Is

Not punishment or perfection — but trust in motion, rooted in love.

2. Why Obedience Feels Scary

Psychology meets faith as Silvia breaks down:

• how the nervous system clings to the familiar
• why fear masquerades as wisdom
• how trauma + attachment shape your “yes”
• why overthinking is self-protection

Your struggle isn’t rebellion, it’s wiring.

3. The Orthodox Heart of Obedience

Scripture + Church Fathers show obedience as freedom and communion, not control.

4. Practical Tools to Move With God

• Micro-step obedience
• The Three-Voice Check
• Somatic prayer for regulation
• Acting without overthinking
• Attachment-safe obedience
• Parts work (“who inside me is afraid?”)
• Identity-based obedience (“I am His”)

A Personal Story

Silvia shares the fears and resistance she faced launching this podcast — and how obedience became a place where God untied old knots of perfectionism, doubt, and spiritual pressure.

Key Quotes

• “Obedience is trust in motion.”
• “Your fear protects you from discomfort, not danger.”
• “God doesn’t rush or shame — He invites.”
• “You don’t need the whole staircase. Just the next inch.”
• “Obedience heals the places where love once felt unsafe.”

Perfect If You…

• second-guess God’s nudges
• feel stuck or scared to move
• wrestle with anxiety or perfectionism
• are healing from trauma or church hurt
• long for a gentle, embodied, Orthodox-rooted faith

Sources

Desert Fathers • Anxiety science • Vagus nerve • Attachment theory • IFS parts work

Support the Podcast

Share with a friend • Leave a review • Send to someone who needs gentle encouragement today.

Your support helps reach the ones who won’t walk into a therapy office… but desperately need hope and healing.

Connect with Silvia:
Instagram: @silviafarag25
Facebook: Silvia Farag

https://www.christiancenterforcounseling.com/

Thank you for listening and don't forget to subscribe.

Anxiety loves to disguise itself in spiritual language—calling itself “discernment” or “lack of peace.”
But the fruit tells the truth.

In this episode of The Holy Unraveling, Silvia unpacks one of the most common questions she hears in both therapy and faith conversations:

“How do I know if this feeling is fear or discernment?”

You’ll discover how to tell the difference between fear and the Holy Spirit so you can stop second-guessing every decision and finally walk in peace.

You’ll Learn

• What God’s voice sounds like vs. what anxiety sounds like
• Why anxious people often confuse overthinking with “discernment”
• How anxiety is passed down in families (Harvard research shows it can be learned behavior)
• The nervous-system connection — how psychology and faith work together
• A simple grounding exercise to calm your body so you can hear God
• Why God leads with peace, not pressure

Practices Mentioned

✅ Box Breathing (4-4-4-4 Method) — for quick emotional reset
✅ 3-3-3 Grounding Rule — to stop spiraling in anxious thoughts
✅ Journaling Practice — separating what’s in your hands vs. what’s in God’s hands

• Philippians 4:7 — “The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
• Galatians 5:22 — “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…”

Reflection Prompt

Ask yourself:

Free Worksheet“Is This Anxiety or Discernment?” PDF — Message me on Instagram @silviafarag25 to receive your free copy (yes, still #techchallenged ).

Spread the Word: If this episode helped you hear God more clearly:

• Share it with a friend who’s overthinking their calling.
• Post your takeaway in your Instagram stories and tag @silviafarag25. I love hearing what resonated.
• Don’t forget to follow + rate the show so you never miss new episodes.

Connect with Silvia:
Instagram: @silviafarag25
Facebook: Silvia Farag

https://www.christiancenterforcounseling.com/

Thank you for listening and don't forget to subscribe.

In this episode, Silvia Farag, therapist, wife, mom, and Orthodox Christian, exposes the truth about perfectionism: it’s not excellence, it’s fear dressed up as control. She dives into how perfectionism quietly becomes an idol, something we depend on more than we depend on God. Perfectionism looks like discipline, and responsibility.

But underneath?

It’s fueled by fear.
Fear of disappointing people. Fear of failing. Fear of not being enough.

You’ll learn:

• How perfectionism is rooted in fear, not faith
• Why we chase control when we don’t feel safe
• How to recognize when you’re trying to “perform” for God
• The difference between excellence and idolatry
• A therapeutic tool to interrupt perfectionistic thinking

And most importantly…

God never asked you to be flawless, just faithful.

If you’ve ever struggled with:

• Overthinking
• Need to control outcomes
• Feeling responsible for everyone’s emotions
• Guilt when you can’t keep everything together

…then this episode will feel like oxygen.

You don’t have to earn rest. You don’t have to earn love. You don’t have to earn peace.

Scripture anchor:
“His power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

If this episode spoke to you, take 10 seconds and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Every review helps another person find this podcast and realize they are not alone.

Connect with Silvia:
Instagram: @silviafarag25

Facebook: Silvia Farag

https://www.christiancenterforcounseling.com/

Thank you for listening and don't forget to subscribe.