Daily Pressure

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits (our inner beings) are being renewed every day.  ( 2 Corinthians 4:16)

On this first day of the New Year many of us are making our resolutions on how to improve for the coming year.  Most of us fail at those goals & end up just adding additional pressure on ourselves that we really don't need. 

We all live under pressure & unfortunately we pass that pressure onto the people around us.   So how do we effectively live with pressure?  Our Biblical example is the Apostle Paul.    He was under pressure that I can only imagine...beatings, sleepless nights, being opposed by the Gentiles & his own people.  Plus he had the daily anxiety of taking care of the early churches & guiding them.

All Christians face troubles & it is easy to focus on the pain instead of our ultimate goal.   It is easy to lose heart & quit.  Our troubles should not diminish our faith or disillusion us. We must focus on the reward for our faith...eternal joy.  Our ultimate hope is the realization that after all the pain & pressure of this world,  that there is life after death!


The only thing that can balance the pressure in our daily lives is the inner pressure of God's love.   When we seriously listen to the message of Jesus,  look hard at his death, then we will sense his presence.  We will feel the pressure to love & forgive, and to sacrifice for others.

As we respond to the inner pressure we begin to grow, share, & change.  We begin to renew & reform.  As the inner pressure grows the pressure of the outside world begins to fade.   As the outward pressure decreases we also have less frustrations to pass on to our loved ones.