How to Tell If It’s God’s Voice or Your Own Thoughts
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Is this God… or is this just me?” you’re not alone.
In fact, in my experience, this question doesn’t come from people who are spiritually immature or disconnected. It usually comes from people who genuinely want to obey God and are afraid of getting it wrong.
Earlier in my walk with God, I used to think the problem was hearing Him clearly. I’ve since learned that most of us can hear God far more easily than we think. The real struggle is learning how to discern His voice without fear, pressure, or outside noise.
Why This Question Is So Common
Many Christians are taught—explicitly or implicitly—to distrust their own inner life. We’re told to be careful, to be skeptical, to look for external confirmation before we move. Over time, that creates hesitation. We start outsourcing discernment instead of practicing it.
Add in spiritual pressure, well-meaning advice, and our own anxiety about consequences, and suddenly every decision feels loaded. We don’t just want to hear God—we want certainty. And certainty can feel elusive.
But confusion doesn’t mean God isn’t speaking. Often, it means there are too many competing voices in the room.
The Real Issue Isn’t Hearing — It’s Discernment Under Pressure
One of the clearest lessons God taught me came during a season of radical obedience in my life.
I was living in San Diego, not working a traditional job, and trusting God to provide day by day. It was uncomfortable, unconventional, and deeply formative. That season is actually where what I now call prophetic listening was birthed—not from ambition, but from dependence.
At one point, my living situation suddenly became unstable. A well-meaning believer began urging me to “be practical,” to take control, to fix the situation immediately. Her urgency was intense. And the more she spoke, the more others around us echoed her concern.
What struck me was this: everyone else was anxious—and I wasn’t.
Still, I didn’t want to assume I was right. So I asked God directly, “Please correct me if I’m wrong. If I’ve misheard You, tell me.”
As I walked outside, I heard Him say simply, “Look to your left.”
Between two trees, I saw a large spiderweb. Caught in the center was a butterfly.
I knew immediately what He was showing me.
A butterfly represents transformation and freedom. A spiderweb represents entanglement and deceit. God was showing me that if I listened to the panic and pressure around me—even though it sounded wise—I would be stepping into a trap. What He was leading me into required trust, not urgency.
A few days later, without me scrambling or forcing a solution, God opened the door to a completely new and better living situation.
That experience clarified something essential for me: God’s voice doesn’t create panic. It creates clarity—even when the situation is uncertain.
One Distinction That Changes Everything
Here’s the distinction I’ve seen over and over again:
God’s guidance brings peace, not pressure.
That doesn’t mean it’s always comfortable. But it doesn’t coerce. It doesn’t rush you. It doesn’t sound frantic or shaming. Even when God is calling you into something bold, His voice carries a sense of steadiness.
Pressure, on the other hand, often comes from fear—ours or someone else’s. It demands immediate action. It tells you that if you don’t move now, everything will fall apart.
Learning to notice that difference changed how I discern God’s voice entirely.
A Gentle Self-Check
If you’re trying to discern whether something is God or just your thoughts, ask yourself:
Does this thought bring clarity or confusion?
Does it invite trust or demand control?
Does it feel aligned with God’s character, or driven by fear?
Am I at peace internally, even if the outcome is unknown?
These aren’t tests. They’re invitations to slow down and listen more carefully.
If This Question Keeps Coming Up
If you find yourself circling this question again and again—Is this God or just me?—it’s not a failure. It’s a sign that God is inviting you into deeper discernment, not deeper striving.
That’s exactly why I created a starting place for people who want to learn how to hear God clearly without hype, pressure, or spiritual performance.
You don’t need to guess. You can learn how to listen with clarity and confidence.
Check out the FREE masterclass!
How to Clarify God’s Unique Blueprint for Your Life is designed to help you make confident, God-led decisions even if you’re not sure how to hear Him yet.