Overcoming the Pressures of Life

Overcoming the Pressures of Life Devotional Reading June 26, 2023

When we feel our lives are out of control and can’t see a way out or we try to live up to unrealistic expectations, either from ourselves or others, it’s common to experience pressure—which is just another word for stress. Change, even if it will give us future rewards also causes pressure in our lives, especially if it is unplanned or mandated by an employer.

As time goes on and our situation remains unresolved, this pressure can build up and take a toll on our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Prolonged stress is not sustainable for the mind, and it can even start to affect our physical health, leaving us feeling exhausted and weighed down.

“Expectations in and of themselves are not bad. And we all have them – for ourselves and others. But there definitely can be a problem when too much emphasis is placed on the expectations others hold for us.” Better Help

There are many sources of internal and external pressure, but we will focus on three:

1. Family Dysfunction
2. Cultural Traditions
3. Personal Learning and Development

Family Dysfunction: Most psychologists agree the family dynamics in today’s homes are dysfunctional. With the increasing number of children and adults with mental health conditions, something is awry in the home. Family dysfunction causes one to mature without the internal coping mechanisms to handle the uncertainties of life. Living in an environment of external chaos results in family members who perceive life as overwhelming. Even the normal ups and downs of life which require minimal decision-making skills produce pressure.

Cultural traditions are one of the greatest sources of pressure. We seek external validation from others because of an innate sense of belonging. Everyone desires to be appreciated and accepted by their families, neighbors, and society. Societies with prevalent cultural traditions expect that members will naturally accept the beliefs and lifestyles passed from generation to generation. Acceptance is based on the condition that one honor and obeys the morals, values, and social norms of said culture. The conflict arises when the individual seeks to live outside of the parameters of tradition, leaving them feeling pressured by the battle within—tradition or Biblical Truth.

Personal Learning results from the decision to acquire a higher level of knowledge that produces positive change by improving the quality of one’s life. Academic and on-the-job learning usually creates pressure! Academia and company policies cause us to modify our knowledge base through acceptance of “proven” theoretical information and promote discarding our morals and values, and belief systems. Since the pursuit of a degree and the business culture are long-term, we must carefully consider the secular information we choose to embrace—not every discipline of study or company that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their policies coincides with the Bible. There is internal pressure when we are mandated to learn the knowledge required to obtain our degree and an employer’s worldly inclusion policies that oppose the Scriptures.

Because we have embraced the worldview that pressure is a normal occurrence in life, many Christians assume that God desires us to live and cope with unnecessary pressure.

Yesterday, I was listening to a motivational podcast by one of my favorite speakers on “Separation is God’s Protection.” As I reread my notes during morning worship today, the thought “something is wrong” resonated from within my soul. She gave various reasons for God separating us which were in alignment with the Scriptures. Yet, this statement “God is preparing you for the intense pressure of additional responsibilities when He fulfills your dreams” set off the “Not Biblical” alarm.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” —James 1:17

From the daily study of the Bible and praying for the anointing, discernment, and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we will recognize the attributes of God’s Character. God’s blessings do not create or result in internal or external pressure within our lives. Still, I prayed asking for a revelation of the Truth. The Holy Spirit spoke to me through my thoughts and said, “No, God’s blessings do not include pressure.”

The countless times that God has intervened in our lives does not keep us from accepting erroneous beliefs, we easily forget the miracles and blessings of yesteryear. Definitive knowledge of the Bible and the power of the Holy Spirit who brings the Bible to our remembrance keeps us from the warfare of deception.

It is unimaginable that our Heavenly Father would give us the Spiritual Blessing of fulfilling our dreams and then cause us to be discouraged by the negativity of pressure. The God who reveals His love for us throughout the Bible is consistent and reiterates, “I change not!”

Although it feels as if “Trials and Tribulations” cause excessive stress and pressure in the Christian life, they are spiritual in nature and given to us to save our souls! There is nothing negative about character transformation.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33.

Jesus promised us that we would have hard times in life. Yet, we are not crushed by our tribulations. The Apostles Peter and James refer to tribulations as fiery trials which are necessary to transform our carnal characters into Christ-like Characters. We can come to Jesus just like we are, but we cannot stay just like we are. To receive eternal life, we must travel the Path of Sanctification which is the daily spiritual growth that comes from faith, surrender, obedience, and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

We were created as free, moral agents. God never pressures us to accept His will for our lives. Even so, if we desire to go all the way, our prayer must be, Lord, whatever it takes for me to be like You do what is necessary to save my soul and give me the strength to endure. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What about studying the Bible? Doesn’t God requiring us to study the Scriptures create pressure in our lives?

Testimony: For most of my life, I lived under internal and external pressure. The external pressure was from working as a nurse when the work ethic of overworking nurses was the standard. But the internal pressure was the result of not having a foundation of biblical knowledge. I prayed twice a day, but, no one including my pastor or Christian friends emphasized that worship included the daily and diligent study of the Scriptures. The word of God provides stability in one’s life and gives us wisdom to avoid situations that produce unnecessary pressures.

In 2019, the internal pressure manifested itself physically, and I began to suffer from migraine headaches and insomnia. But our God loves us with a love that we will never understand. I attended a Wednesday night Prayer Meeting and the sermon was on studying the Bible. In 2020, God instructed me to take steps [Prayer, Fasting, and Bible Study] that would give me the courage to have faith in Him. In 2021, God restarted my life by relocating me 1400 miles from the state I lived in for seven years.

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. —Psalm 34:17-19

God’s promises are true: “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” —Numbers 23:19

Overcoming the pressures of life requires experiential knowledge of our Omniscient, Omnipotent, Loving, Heavenly Father! We can always rely on God to give us victory over the vicissitudes of life!

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” —John 14:27

The Bible is our Spiritual Guide—Holy Words breathed by the mouth of God! Remain faithful and obedient to God, and He will intervene to rid us of every pressure that prevents us from receiving the blessing of His peace. Yet, we have to take the giant leap of faith by presenting our pressures to Christ and then obeying His commands. Moving forward in obedience requires courage!

Do not expect family and friends to respect your decision to go all the way with God. And I am speaking from experience, keeping the seventh-day Sabbath caused me to lose 99% of my friends. After three decades, my family has finally accepted that my commitment to God is first and foremost. If we remain steadfast and persevere, God always gives us a victorious outcome!

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” —Matthew 11:29-30

Living a faithful life in obedience to God replaces the need to be validated by others. Yes, at times, we feel discouraged. Do not nurture those feelings! Begin praying out loud for the Holy Spirit to give you comfort and strength. Choose a praise song and begin singing to the top of your voice! Listen to praise and worship music, and study God’s promises. Remember we can whisper a prayer to Jesus any time of the day or night. Memorize Revelation chapters 21 and 22.

“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday. But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.” —Proverbs 4:18-19

The Righteous have the blessing of God’s Grace—unmerited favor on their lives. When nothing in your life is working out and you feel the pressure that threatens to make you break, Pray, Surrender, and Seek God’s Presence.

God desires that we live joyful, healthy, and productive lives. Every pressure will be alleviated when we worship God through surrender and obedience. With much prayer and diligent study, we will see our lives as blessed and highly favored. The Holy Spirit will reveal the necessary life changes required to remove all obstacles that prevent us from living a pressure-free, Hallelujah! life. Amen.

Prayer: Lord God, we ask You to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and fill us with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We pray for a spiritual makeover of our complex lives full of pressure from every angle. God, we thank You in advance for Your Divine Intervention. In Jesus’ Worthy name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Steps2successwithsolutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries