When Pretending Breaks You
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7
One of the greatest weights you can carry is the pressure to act like everything is fine. Some of us aren’t just dealing with hard circumstances, we’re drained from pretending we’re not. You feel the push to smile when you’d rather cry. To hold it all in when your heart’s about to burst. But God never asked you to carry that kind of pressure.
Thomas didn’t. That disciple we often call “doubting” was actually one of the most honest people in the room. He had questions and he wasn’t ashamed to ask them. When Jesus said, “You know the way,” Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t.” That moment of transparency was not weakness. It was actually the setup for Jesus to make one of the boldest statements in Scripture: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas for being real. He responded with truth.
That tells you something. Honesty brings healing. Transparency invites clarity. But pretending? That’ll choke out your peace. When we bottle things up, we don’t just break spiritually, we break physically. Studies have shown that suppressing emotions can increase your risk of serious health issues. God did not design you to suppress. He invites you to express. You were never meant to mask your struggle with fake smiles or hide behind spiritual clichés. You don’t have to act like you’re okay if you’re not.
1 Peter 5:7 gives you an open invitation. It says to cast your anxiety on Him. Why? Because He cares. Not just about the polished version of you. He cares about the anxious, exhausted, overwhelmed version of you. And He wants you to be honest about it. What you conceal can’t be healed, but what you release, God can restore.
God knows you’re complex. He knows you’re trying to be strong. But what if today, you gave yourself permission to come clean. What if you let go of the act and admitted what’s actually weighing you down? God can handle your heart. He can handle your doubt. He can handle your questions. But He can’t help what you refuse to surrender.
There is peace on the other side of honesty. A deep, anchored peace that doesn't ignore the storm but steadies you through it. The peace that holds you when life gets hard. The peace that reminds you you're not alone. His name is Jesus. And He is still the Prince of Peace.
One of the greatest weights you can carry is the pressure to act like everything is fine. Some of us aren’t just dealing with hard circumstances, we’re drained from pretending we’re not. You feel the push to smile when you’d rather cry. To hold it all in when your heart’s about to burst. But God never asked you to carry that kind of pressure.
Thomas didn’t. That disciple we often call “doubting” was actually one of the most honest people in the room. He had questions and he wasn’t ashamed to ask them. When Jesus said, “You know the way,” Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t.” That moment of transparency was not weakness. It was actually the setup for Jesus to make one of the boldest statements in Scripture: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas for being real. He responded with truth.
That tells you something. Honesty brings healing. Transparency invites clarity. But pretending? That’ll choke out your peace. When we bottle things up, we don’t just break spiritually, we break physically. Studies have shown that suppressing emotions can increase your risk of serious health issues. God did not design you to suppress. He invites you to express. You were never meant to mask your struggle with fake smiles or hide behind spiritual clichés. You don’t have to act like you’re okay if you’re not.
1 Peter 5:7 gives you an open invitation. It says to cast your anxiety on Him. Why? Because He cares. Not just about the polished version of you. He cares about the anxious, exhausted, overwhelmed version of you. And He wants you to be honest about it. What you conceal can’t be healed, but what you release, God can restore.
God knows you’re complex. He knows you’re trying to be strong. But what if today, you gave yourself permission to come clean. What if you let go of the act and admitted what’s actually weighing you down? God can handle your heart. He can handle your doubt. He can handle your questions. But He can’t help what you refuse to surrender.
There is peace on the other side of honesty. A deep, anchored peace that doesn't ignore the storm but steadies you through it. The peace that holds you when life gets hard. The peace that reminds you you're not alone. His name is Jesus. And He is still the Prince of Peace.
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