I do and I don’t work well under pressure. So often the pressure I face is of my own making. However, to get the balance in life is never easy and I certainly am not good at this. However, I do seem to rise to a challenge after the initial shock of finding out what it is!
Jesus knew about the pressures we would face and gave us His word to help us in our dilemmas. He said,
“If you are tired from carrying burdens,come to Me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30 (Contemporary English version of the Bible). It’s doing what he says that counts and can give us rest. We can cease striving from our own way of doing things and learn his way of working which is far more restful than the usual run of things.
With 973 days to go to complete the writing of this project, I need to learn that there is no pressure to finish. This project is God’s work – he happens to be using me and my wonderful team of people for this but he could have used anyone. He is the Father Manager of it all – I just need to listen more and then be more obedient.
I’m aware that the apostle Paul had a huge number of pressures and challenges (see the long list in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28). Yet, he did not succumb to self pity or revenge or unforgiveness. He kept going believing the best and endeavouring to bless those who were doing him harm. God only allows what he wants for each of our lives and he makes no mistakes even if from a human standpoint a situation might seem disastrous or even hopeless. God has a wonderful way of weaving everything together for good (Romans 8:28).
So as we seek to enter the rest of God, ceasing from our own works and doing his, our children will catch on and learn perhaps even earlier in their lives than we did (or in my case learning to do) that the Christian life is all about abiding in God’s love so that His fruit of love ie patience, self-control, goodness, kindness, peace, faithfulness and gentleness can be evident to all.