Relieving Pressure

Pressure.

As I sat down to write this piece on pressure, I thought about what I wanted to say about dealing with pressure in life. I know what I want to say. I do not like pressure. I do not know about you, but I prefer not being stressed and pressed by pressure.

A pressure free life would be just fine with me. Of course, that is wishful thinking, fantasy island stuff, not reality.

Like it or not, pressure comes with the territory of human experience.

Pressure, whether positive or negative, is part and parcel of real life in a real world.

Webster’s first definition of pressure is “the burden of physical or mental distress.” Living in our hurry and worry world, you and I feel pressure from the inside, the outside, upside, downside, from every side. Pressure to perform, pressure to succeed, pressure to win and pressure to get along with people.

Pressure to deal with pressure successfully can produce mental and emotional distress.

People handle the distress that pressure produces in diverse ways. Some people cave in under pressure. Others choose to run away when stressed. Some self-medicate under stressful situations. And too many people blow up when pressured by pressure. Pressure, a by-product of stress, tends to build up. Built up pressure will blow up if not relieved.
Blowing up and blowing out is not God’s will for people under pressure. Especially Christians. I am ashamed to say that throughout times in my life I have allowed pressure to build up, blow me up and blow out on others.

Emotional blowouts are never pretty! They do tremendous damage to our relationships.

I am learning that the pressure I feel must be relieved by the Lord and never unleashed on people.

Family members, friends, relatives, work associates, fellow church members, authority figures, and our pets are not deserving of our immature and irresponsible reactions to personal pressure.
When feeling pressure, the Word in I Peter 5:7 invites me to cast (to throw) my cares (anxiety, burdens, pressures, distress) on God.

“Casting all your cares upon Him because He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7

Why should I throw my pressure to Him? Because He cares for me. God loves and cares for me. Yes, God cares about stressed out Steve! He cares so much that He encourages me to cast my pressure on Him. He will catch it. My pressure becomes His pressure.

Truth is: God manages pressure better than Steve does!
If anyone who walked on this earth was under pressure, it was the Lord Jesus Christ. Pressed upon daily by crowds of needy people, persecuted relentlessly by religious hypocrites, faced with the prospect of death by crucifixion and the personal pain of abandonment by His closest friends while fiercely battling the forces of hell for the souls of men, God’s Son, Savior of the world, experienced pressure firsthand.

How did Jesus handle life’s pressures? He took them to the Father. Jesus cast His cares upon God. That is why He slipped away to pray. (Matthew 26:36, Mark 6:46, Mark 14:32, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:28).

He spent time alone with the Father relieving pressure so He could fulfill His purpose.

Time for a reality check. When you are under pressure, how do you deal with it? What would those who know you best say how you handle pressure? Is anyone in your life paying the price for your pressure? What does it mean to you to cast your cares upon God?

As a point of continual personal growth, I am working on this pressure thing. I have established a rule of thumb for myself when I feel pressure. The rule is this: Back off and cast pressure on the Lord.

I am doing better than I used to but not as well as I would like to.     
I have discovered a three-step process that helps me relieve pressure.

1. RECOGNIZE THE PRESSURE. I acknowledge immediately that I am under pressure. I call it what it is. I identify the source of pressure and how it is influencing me. I face pressure straight up. Seeing pressure for what it is (just pressure) motivates me to overcome it.

2. REALIZE PRESSURE NEEDS RELIEVED. I know I will make mistakes if I make decisions and take actions based on negative pressure. I am not at my best when “under the gun” of pressure. I tend to react instead of responding to life. Therefore, it is wise for me to seek relief from stress and pressure. Relief, not unleashing, is what I need.
3. RELEASE PRESSURE TO THE LORD. Release means I let go. I choose to purposely cast or throw off my personal pressure on God. I take my hands off, placing  pressure in God’s hands. I know from His Word and experience that He manages pressure much better than I ever will.
I am still not fond of pressure. Slowly but surely, I am learning how to take the pressure out of pressure by taking my pressure to the Lord.

Put some pressure on pressure by casting it on Jesus.

“Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My load is light.”                  Matthew 11:28-30​

A Word For Your Week: When the pressure is on, turn it off by taking it to God.