Does the pressure to solicit audience feedback overwhelm you in this digital age? This is an elementary and straightforward discussion I’d like to have here. There’s a weird kind of exhaustion that nobody warned me about. It’s not the exhaustion that comes from doing ministry. That one I expected. It’s not even the exhaustion that comes from dealing with haters, critics, or culture wars. I’ve learned how to stand strong in those fires. It’s the exhaustion that comes from asking: “Are they still listening? Are they still watching? Did they like that post? Did I get it right?” That, friends, is a soul-crushing weight. And I’ve felt it—more than I want to admit.
The Dangerous Addiction to Digital Approval
The world has trained us to confuse effectiveness with feedback, calling with clout, and purpose with performance. If you’re in any kind of ministry or leadership, or if you’re just trying to walk out your faith in a visible way, you probably know what I mean. You post something that came from your time with God. A word you truly believe is anointed. You pour your heart out. And then comes the urge to check.
“Did it resonate?” “Did it spread?” “Did it… perform?”
If it didn’t get the feedback we hoped for, or if the analytics didn’t scream “winner,” we question whether we heard God at all. We turn conviction into content. And calling into clicks.
I’m not here to shame us for that. I’m here to say: I see it. I’ve lived it. And we need to talk about it.
Jesus Never Checked His Comments
Let’s be clear — Jesus had a public ministry. He had crowds. He had fame. He had haters. He had fans. But here’s the thing: He never let any of them define His direction. In fact, right after He did His first miracles, when the people were most impressed, He left.
“Very early in the morning… Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’ Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else… so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’” - Mark 1:35–38
Jesus wasn’t driven by engagement. He was led by obedience. He didn’t stay where the audience was largest. He went where the Father told Him to go.
The Danger of the Algorithm Anointing
I call it the Algorithm Anointing — when we let platforms determine our spiritual value, our voice, and our worth. We measure ourselves by likes, shares, and visibility instead of fruit, faithfulness, and obedience. We’ve become so conditioned to ask people for feedback that we’ve stopped asking God for direction. Let me ask you — how often do you second-guess something God told you to say just because it didn’t “perform well”?
How many of us water down the truth, smooth out the edges, or post the safer version — not because it’s more holy, but because it’s more popular? And worst of all… how many of us feel invisible or discouraged when the crowd doesn’t show up? That’s when ministry becomes misery. That’s when calling becomes content creation. That’s when burnout replaces boldness.
What God Actually Measures
Here’s the truth I keep returning to — and it sets me free every time: God is not measuring your influence by your followers. He’s measuring it by your faithfulness. Your reach isn’t your real power. Your anointing isn’t in your algorithm. Your identity isn’t up for a vote.
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” - Galatians 1:10
Paul knew the truth: you can’t serve the audience and the Almighty at the same time. One will always drown out the other.
Breaking Free From the Pressure
So what do we do when the pressure to perform is real? Here are five things I’ve learned the hard way — and keep relearning.
1. Go Off the Grid… to Get Back on the Throne
Sometimes, I just need to unplug. To go dark on socials. To stop performing and go pray. Jesus did it often. And if He needed solitude to stay grounded, so do we. Let your private connection with God be more powerful than your public performance for people.
2. Post Obediently — Not Reactively
Don’t post for applause. Post because God asked you to. Sometimes the word you’re supposed to release won’t be popular — it’ll be prophetic. And it might not trend, but it will transform.
3. Detox from the Data
Set boundaries around how often you check likes, shares, or feedback. Stop refreshing your identity. You don’t need analytics to validate your anointing.
4. Remember the One
Jesus left the 99 for the one. If your post reached ONE person and it changed their life — would that be enough? What if that one was your own son… your future daughter… your sister? Now ask yourself again: Was it enough?
5. Invite Feedback… from the Right Place
It’s not wrong to want feedback — it’s human. But make sure the first feedback you seek is from the Holy Spirit. After that, build a tribe of wise counsel who tell you the truth — not just what’s trending.
This piece… right here… is for me as much as it’s for you. I write and preach and teach and post and speak because God told me to. But I’d be lying if I said I never wrestled with the voice of performance. So I’m reclaiming something today — and maybe you are too:
We don’t have to dance for likes. We don’t have to fight for applause. We don’t have to curate our calling into a content calendar. We just have to obey.
The feedback that matters most already came.
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” - Matthew 3:17
He said that to Jesus before the miracles… before the crowds… before the crucifixion. Because God doesn’t approve of you based on your metrics, he approves of you because you’re His.
If you’re feeling this — if this hits you where you live — I want to hear from you. DM me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook – Cynthia Garrett Ministries Email me directly at CynthiaGarrett.org Tell me what YOU wrestle with as a believer in this digital age. Because this pressure is real. But so is our God.
We’re in this together, and I promise you this: If you keep showing up in obedience, God will handle the audience.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Jae Park
Cynthia Garrett broke barriers when she became the first African American woman in the U.S. to host a network late-night show, NBC’s Later with Cynthia Garrett. She is currently seen on TBN and Salem Media networks, as well as on Fox News and other news outlets, addressing cultural issues and today’s news. The Cynthia Garrett Podcasts premiere weekly on all major podcast platforms.
A highly sought-after speaker, author, TV host, and ordained minister, Garrett is the author of The Naked Truth: Reclaiming Sexual Freedom in a Culture of Lies (2024), I Choose Victory: Moving from Victim to Victor (2020), and Prodigal Daughter: A Journey Home to Identity (2016). For more information, visit www.cynthiagarrett.org
