Letting Go of the Weight. 1 Peter 5:7

Travis was the type of guy everyone leaned on. At work, he was the steady one. At home, the provider. At church, the one who always said, “I’m good,” even when he wasn’t. But the truth was, he hadn’t slept more than four hours a night in weeks. Bills were overdue, his oldest son was acting out, and the pressure of being “strong” was starting to crush him from the inside out.

Sometimes peace begins the moment you stop trying to carry it all.

One night, after a particularly long day, Travis sat alone in the garage. The house was quiet, but his thoughts weren’t. He felt a lump in his throat and a weight on his chest he couldn’t shake. He had tried everything—harder work, longer hours, more planning—but nothing eased the anxiety. That’s when he looked over and saw his Bible sitting on a dusty shelf. Almost out of habit, he opened it—and his eyes landed on 1 Peter 5:7.

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." The words hit harder than he expected. He read them again. And again. Then finally said out loud, “God, I don’t know how to do this... but I need You to take it. I can’t carry all of this anymore.” It was the most honest prayer he’d said in months.

He didn’t feel lightning or hear a voice. But he did feel lighter. As if naming the burden aloud loosened its grip on him. That night, for the first time in weeks, he slept. Not because his problems vanished—but because he finally stopped carrying them alone. Letting go of the weight didn’t make him weak—it made space for God to move.

The next day, Travis made a small change. Before he checked emails or messages, he sat in silence with God for ten minutes. At first it felt awkward. But slowly, it became the best part of his day. He began writing down his worries and “casting” them in a journal—giving them over to God one by one.

When you place your worries in God’s hands, they no longer weigh down your heart.

Three months later, nothing on the outside had changed dramatically. But everything on the inside had. Travis was more present. He laughed more. He snapped less. His family noticed. His coworkers noticed. And when a friend admitted to feeling overwhelmed, Travis didn’t give advice. He handed him a sticky note with 1 Peter 5:7 written on it and said, “This is how I made it through.”

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV):

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."