The Cost of Harboring Feelings
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:7
Every person carries feelings that are hard to talk about. Hurt that lingers. Disappointment that hangs in the background. Frustration that you try to ignore. At first, it feels easier to hold those emotions inside. You tell yourself that staying quiet keeps the peace. You tell yourself that time will take care of it. You tell yourself that it is not worth bringing up. But the longer you store those feelings, the heavier they become.
Harboring pain does not protect you. It drains you. Hidden emotions settle in the heart in ways you do not always notice at first. Your peace becomes harder to find. Your patience gets shorter. Your thoughts become scattered. You start assuming motives that are not there. You interpret simple moments through the lens of old wounds. You step into new days carrying weight from old ones.
Resentment grows in that kind of environment. Not loud and dramatic, but slow and steady. It clouds your judgment. It makes you more focused on what hurts than what helps. It causes you to overlook blessings that God is placing right in front of you. When the heart is crowded with unspoken feelings, there is less room for gratitude. There is less space for clarity. There is less sensitivity to the quiet work God is doing.
God never intended for you to hold everything alone. He invites you to release what weighs you down. Casting your cares on Him is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of trust. It is a way of saying that your heart was not created to hold every heavy thing. When you bring your feelings to God, you are not complaining. You are surrendering. You are choosing healing over pressure.
If something has been sitting in your heart, take it to God today. Name it. Release it. Trust Him with it. The cost of holding it is far greater than the courage it takes to let it go. Let God heal what you have been storing inside.
Every person carries feelings that are hard to talk about. Hurt that lingers. Disappointment that hangs in the background. Frustration that you try to ignore. At first, it feels easier to hold those emotions inside. You tell yourself that staying quiet keeps the peace. You tell yourself that time will take care of it. You tell yourself that it is not worth bringing up. But the longer you store those feelings, the heavier they become.
Harboring pain does not protect you. It drains you. Hidden emotions settle in the heart in ways you do not always notice at first. Your peace becomes harder to find. Your patience gets shorter. Your thoughts become scattered. You start assuming motives that are not there. You interpret simple moments through the lens of old wounds. You step into new days carrying weight from old ones.
Resentment grows in that kind of environment. Not loud and dramatic, but slow and steady. It clouds your judgment. It makes you more focused on what hurts than what helps. It causes you to overlook blessings that God is placing right in front of you. When the heart is crowded with unspoken feelings, there is less room for gratitude. There is less space for clarity. There is less sensitivity to the quiet work God is doing.
God never intended for you to hold everything alone. He invites you to release what weighs you down. Casting your cares on Him is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of trust. It is a way of saying that your heart was not created to hold every heavy thing. When you bring your feelings to God, you are not complaining. You are surrendering. You are choosing healing over pressure.
If something has been sitting in your heart, take it to God today. Name it. Release it. Trust Him with it. The cost of holding it is far greater than the courage it takes to let it go. Let God heal what you have been storing inside.
Subscribe Now for Free Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
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
March
A Solid FoundationPositioned for BlessingMarked by LoveTrust God's JudgmentRest in God's DeliveranceLet Go of ControlWhat You Want MostWhy Church Still MattersFaith in the Midst of DisappointmentJoy for the JourneyA Place of SafetyStrength in CommunityPeace in the ChaosThe Purpose of the ValleySeasons ChangeUnshaken in the StormHold OnThe Power of ResilienceNever AloneGod Is Closer Than You ThinkLet Go of WorryLet Go of WorryBelieve Before You SeeResilient FaithHow to Be a Success God's WayTrue Success Starts with the SoulSuccess Through SurrenderCharacter That Speaks for ItselfThe Power of Being RealKeep GrowingSuccess in the Face of Opposition
1 Comment
This is especially true for me. Recently, a family dynamic came up in which I was not involved in a significant event with a sibling, and I felt left out and unimportant when others were present. I brought this to my sister's attention, and she said she immediately prayed about it and released it, just as your blog here says to do. It inspired me to do the same. We need these daily reminders in our lives to keep us spiritually fed and to remind us to keep our eyes above, not on earthly things. Thank you so much for your daily contribution and for the time and effort you put into feeding us the great news.