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.
Subscribe Now for Free Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
2026
January
When God Feels Silent but is Still at WorkHow to Rebound After a Crushing LetdownWhen Your World Falls Apart After You Did Everything RightGod Is Still Building Roads in the DesertThe Chapter That Comes After TraumaWhen Hope Feels GoneWhen Your Words Start Working Against YouGod’s Resume Is Bigger Than Your SituationWaiting on God is Not Doing NothingBefore Circumstances ChangeGetting In Your Bag When Life Feels UnfairWinning With a Bad HandOverlooked, Insulted, and Still ChosenPrepared in the Field Before the Giant AppearsYou Were Trained for This MomentTaking Off Armor That Does Not FitFormed in the Field, Not on the StageWhen the Battle Is Not Actually YoursWhen You Feel the Urge to Go Through God’s PhoneFaith After Disappointment Still CountsKeep Showing Up Even When You Are ConfusedLocked Doors Do Not Stop JesusWhen You Need an Encounter for YourselfDoubt as a DoorwaySaying What Hurts When God Is in the RoomWhere Faith and Fear CollideShutdown Does Not Mean FinishedWhen Opposition Shows Up Mid-ProgressBuilding Without Responding to the Mockery
2025
January
Plenty of RoomThankful for Your SeatWho God Invites to the TableThat’s the PointWe Do Not Have a Monopoly on GodStop Talking So LoudLet God Handle the Guest ListA Long-Awaited ReunionSeeing Jesus for YourselfIn Possession of a Personal PromiseGet in the Right PositionReady to ReceiveAligning Your Life for God's PromiseWaiting with ExpectancyGrounded in PrayerStrength in PrayerPatience Through PrayerStay Focused Through PrayerGod's Conditional PromisesGod’s PriorityGrounded in FaithTrusting God's TimingThe Assurance of God's PromisesIs It Well With Your Soul?Health vs. HealingStewarding Your BodyA Holistic View of SpiritualityGod Cares About Your BodyWhat You Put in MattersNourishing Your SoulThe Power of Prevention
February
The Power of a ComebackHealing from the PastStop Blaming and Start TrustingBury the Past to Claim the FutureFacing Trauma with TruthCelebrate That You SurvivedRepair What is BrokenNothing God Can’t FixDon’t Swing at Bad PitchesStick to God’s PlanDon’t Let Desperation Drive YouShift Your WeightWho Knows Best?A Good Idea Isn’t Always a God IdeaPeace in God’s PlanFinding Purpose in God’s PlanProsperity in God’s PlanTrusting God’s Plan, Pace, and ProcessKnowing When to PivotGod Hasn’t Given Up on YouNext-Level Faith Requires PerseveranceA New Revelation of GodIt’s Not All About YouNext-Level ConnectionsNext-Level CommitmentA Prayer That Moves GodPrayers That Carry a BurdenPray With Boldness
No Comments