by Dennis and Barbara Rainey

2 Corinthians 11:28
Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches.

We refer on more than one occasion in this book to the stressful nature of modern life. Or is it just a modern issue? It's obvious from this Scripture that Paul faced pressure, too. How was he able to bear it so well?

I've found that pressures come from two directions: What others expect of us and what we expect of ourselves. It is so easy to let yourself be driven by the agendas of other people. Externally, their voices form a deafening chorus, incessantly telling us what we ought to do. But Paul had an inner settledness that enabled him to affirm, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).

Dr. Hans Selye, a leading pioneer in the study and treatment of stress, described something called "eustress." This pressure is actually good for you. Then there is "distress"-pressures that overload your system and prey on your weakness and vulnerability.

There is no such thing as a pressure-free life. Perhaps in heaven we'll feel no pressure-only total peace and contentment. But here and now we have responsibilities, and responsibilities create pressure and stress.

We can, however, allow that pressure to point us to Jesus Christ and draw upon His strength. J. Hudson Taylor, the veteran missionary to China, said this: "It matters not how great the pressure is, only where the pressure lies. As long as the pressure does not come between me and my Savior, but presses me to Him, then the greater the pressure, the greater my dependence upon Him."

Spiritually, what is pressure doing to you? If you and God are not as close as you used to be, then don't be deceived about who moved!

Prayer:

That the Lord as "God Almighty" will strengthen your ability to eliminate unnecessary stress and empower you to turn remaining stress into positive forces that press you against Him.

Discuss: Evaluate with your spouse how you handle pressure. Discuss how you'd like to handle it.

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