The Power of Pressure

              “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us (2 Corinthians 1:8-11).”

                As I know more of God, I am able to see things more through His lens. As I seek more of Him, I am able to understand more of this life--this life that has never been about me; that in this life, pressure must not be an option. And overwhelmingly, as I draw closer to Him, I am able to witness His power manifesting in me. I’ve just been in a season where God tested my faith like never before. His love made me realize that growing in a Christ-like is not something that others could do for me, but what I can do for myself; especially at moments where no one can see it. So I learned that every day, I have to preach His Word to myself--to preach it under pressure because I am better with it, not because I am strong but He wants me to be strong for Him. The only bad thing is, I spend an entirely too much time trying to figure out where my pressure is coming from and not enough time learning what to do when it comes. This led me to know what God says about pressure and how does He define it.

                Pressure is a total unavailability of an exit. It is that moment when you are about to take an exam and you start trembling because you do not seem to know how to release that fear of not being able to properly answer. Thankfully, our God makes a way out of no way.

                2 Corinthians 1:10 reminded me that “I’ve been here before”. I recognized in this verse that Paul did not talk about what caused the pressure but what the pressure caused inside of Him that I could relate to. I know, God will do it too, in my academics. He will do it again, and again. And together, we can make it through. You and I may be in different situations, but it does not matter because (as long as) we have the same God.

                Secondly, it reminded me that “I am not that important.” God allowed life to put enough pressure on me so that I will give Him back what belongs to Him to begin with. I learned to carry the load that I have been assign (e.g. to be excellent in my studies), but not try to take the weight of the responsibility that is not mine (God has the full control over my academics and every other area of my life). "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:28)". Paul is telling that our concern should be the pressure that is happening in us. But he did not say that to be aware of this pressure means we are necessary. To God, we are not that necessary. Yes, we are valuable to Him but if we do not do what we have been doing, somebody else could and would; because the world does not revolve around you. It does not revolve around me either. Reality is, the world goes on, without you and me. This mindset redirected me to the thought “I am supposed to but I do not have to, then I can.” It is actually the feeling of “I have to” that disabled and paralyzed me with pressure.

                God is God without me. He is God all by Himself. He does not need my help. And because I do not have to do it, then now I can! In fact, much of the pressure we felt is not based on the situations that we are in but our perception of the situations and our interpretation of them. When I realize that His purpose is not dependent on me, I started fulfilling His purpose.

                Romans 5:3 reveals “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.” This passage speaks about pressure creating power. I remember Pastor Jon Dolor used to preach that we have to be careful when we pray to God. He is right! When I prayed for patience, God indeed sent me pressure. Because there are some things that can only be produced by pressure. The people of God should be better under pressure. Unless we taste test with pressure, we cannot grow stronger than yesterday, than we are now.

                It’s not about what is happening to me but what God puts in me that am about ready to release. More pressure means more power. God wants to put them under pressure and watch them grow, excel and expand. Some pressure comes from above—from God. Some pressure comes from people around us. It does not matter nearly as much where the pressure comes from as it does with what you do with it. With what you do with it will determine what the pressure will produce in your life.

                Only GOD can show us how to convert the pressure into something glorious. What is happening around you is really about what God is doing in you. Hence, remind your situation. Remind yourself: there are things that are not mine to bear.