EP 95: When Devotion Needs Discernment: Why Loyalty Without Alignment Can Lead You Off Course
Some episodes come from a plan.
This one came from a moment of revelation.
Right after a session with her coach and intuitive mentor, Kerri hit record—without polishing, without overthinking, without trying to make it perfect. What unfolded was a deeply personal exploration of something she had never put into words before:
Sometimes our devotion to people quietly replaces our devotion to God.
If you’ve ever overcommitted, over-given, over-functioned, or over-loyalized your way into depletion in the name of professionalism, faithfulness, or “being a good person,” this episode is going to meet you right where you are.
The Moment Devotion Turned Into Misalignment
For much of her life, devotion was one of Kerri’s greatest strengths:
loyalty
commitment
reliability
honoring her word
showing up even when it costs
But devotion—beautiful as it is—can quietly mutate into something dangerous:
Self-abandonment disguised as faithfulness.
In her session, one question stopped her cold:
“What if your devotion to people has replaced your devotion to God?”
That question became a pivot point.
How Devotion to People Can Eclipse Devotion to God
Kerri began tracing her history:
taking on clients who weren’t aligned
over-functioning for team members she felt responsible to “carry”
honoring contracts even when they became unhealthy
letting loyalty override intuition
acting out of pressure instead of peace
saying yes to protect her reputation
becoming scaffolding for others instead of a steady light beside them
On the surface, it looked like integrity and professionalism.
But underneath, something else was happening:
Devotion had become a detour.
It pulled her energy outward instead of upward.
It clouded discernment.
It put people in God’s seat.
Devotion vs. Discernment: What’s the Difference?
Devotion
Loyalty, commitment, showing up, honoring your word.
Discernment
Wisdom, alignment, listening to the Holy Spirit, following peace over pressure.
When devotion rises above discernment, we experience:
depletion
resentment
blurred boundaries
misaligned commitments
loss of intuitive clarity
the sense that something feels “off,” but we override it anyway
Discernment doesn’t cancel devotion.
Discernment directs devotion.
“You’re not losing your intuition. Your devotion is just speaking louder than your discernment.”
Introducing Holy Resourcing (HR)
As Kerri worked through this revelation, something clicked:
Her career-long work in HR wasn’t just about human resources.
It was actually about Holy Resourcing:
Structure
Clarity, policies, boundaries, alignment, consistency.
Stewardship
Protecting time, people, finances, energy, purpose.
Spirit
Inviting the Holy Spirit into decisions without turning your business into a ministry.
Holy Resourcing allows leaders to serve people without carrying them.
To walk beside, not ahead.
To guide, not rescue.
To shine, not scaffold.
When “Doing the Right Thing” Becomes Self-Abandonment
Many leaders—especially high-capacity ones—mistake devotion for righteousness:
“I said I’d do it.”
“They’re depending on me.”
“I don’t want to let them down.”
“This is what a professional does.”
“This is what a Christian does.”
But doing the right thing for someone else can become the wrong thing for your soul.
Being reliable isn’t the problem.
Being self-sacrificing without discernment is.
Recognizing When Loyalty Turns Into Depletion
Here are some cues devotion is starting to blind you:
You “push through” what your body is clearly telling you to stop.
You override intuitive pings because “you gave your word.”
You stay loyal to people who wouldn’t do the same for you.
You tolerate misalignment longer than you should.
You carry emotional or organizational weight that isn’t yours.
You feel responsible for other people’s growth, stability, or success.
If this hits too close to home, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken.
You’re just being invited back into alignment.
Faith + Work: Integration Without Performance
For a long time, Kerri felt torn between two worlds:
Faith identity
Professional identity
Should these be kept separate?
Should business become ministry?
Should she edit her spiritual life out of her work?
The answer came gently:
You don’t have to turn your business into a ministry.
But you also don’t have to keep your faith out of your work.
Faith becomes the lens—not the billboard.
You lead through values, not vocabulary.
Through alignment, not slogans.
Through integrity, not performance.
You Are Not the Scaffolding
This may be the heart of the episode.
When you become the scaffolding for everyone else…
clients lean heavily
employees rely on you for stability
relationships center around your strength
people collapse when you pull back
your boundaries feel like betrayal
your “yes” becomes assumed, not appreciated
Scaffolding is temporary by design.
You were never meant to hold up the whole building.
“You can be a steady light beside people—but you’re not meant to be the structure holding their lives together.”
Your role is not to carry.
Your role is to guide.
Reflection Prompt: Where Is Your Devotion Leading You… and Where Is It Blinding You?
Set aside a few minutes this week and ask:
1. Where is my devotion guiding me closer to alignment?
Where do I feel peace, clarity, and calling?
2. Where might my devotion be blinding me?
Where am I overextending?
Where am I honoring people more than God?
Where am I ignoring what my spirit knows?
Your answers will tell you everything you need to know about your next step.
Connect with Kerri
HR in a Box (for small business owners)
@kerrimroberts
Try Magic Mind:
Get $40 off your first order at this link or use code KERRIROBERTS at checkout
Final Word
Real leadership begins when devotion meets discernment.
When loyalty is guided by alignment—not obligation.
When you stop scaffolding others and start leading from your God-given center.
Because yes… it may feel like chaos.
But the work is worth it.
So don’t waste the chaos.
Embrace it.
