Pressure Points

Most of us have either used a pressure cooker or watched someone use one. It is designed to cook food faster, tenderize meat, and seal in the flavor. What might normally take several hours can be done in much less time because of the pressure created inside.

The other day, I asked the Lord what He wanted me to write about. Almost immediately, the words came to me: Pressure Points. The title made sense because I had been feeling pressure from several directions. It seemed as though every time I tried to get from beneath one thing, something else was waiting. I could not understand why the pressure felt so heavy or why it would not let up.

As I sat back down at my desk after grabbing a bottle of water, I heard the Lord say again, “Pressure Points.” Silly me, I thought: That is a good title. But as the days went by and the pressure continued, I realized the Lord had given me more than a title. He was giving me an answer.

Years ago, I went through another season that felt very similar. The situation itself was different, but the pressure felt the same. I remember asking the Lord then, “What is all of this pressure for?” This time, He brought that season back to my remembrance.

When food is inside a pressure cooker, you cannot simply open the lid whenever you feel like it. The pressure must first be released. Until that happens, opening it can be dangerous. Once the cooking process is complete and the pressure has been safely released, the lid can be removed, revealing what has become tender, seasoned, and ready.

Sometimes, in the pressures God allows us to walk through, He is preparing us. Sometimes He is maturing us. Sometimes He is moving us. And sometimes He is accelerating a process that would have taken us much longer because we had become too comfortable, too hesitant, or too afraid to move.

The pressure I was feeling was making me tired of my own excuses. I knew the Lord was telling me to put myself out there more. He was telling me to speak, pursue opportunities, inquire about serving on boards and committees, and make room for what He had placed inside of me. But I did not want to. I felt safe where I was. I wanted to remain covered, hidden, and comfortable. I was saying, “Lord, I am tired. How am I going to do all of this? How am I going to stand up and keep moving?”

But the Lord was saying, “It is time to go.” The pressure was not there to destroy me. It was there to move me. There will be moments when pressure comes because we have stayed in one place longer than we should have. There are also times when pressure is simply part of the path God chose to prepare us for where He is taking us.

The important thing is to seek Him and ask, “Lord, what is this pressure producing in me? What are You asking me to do?” For me, once I stopped resisting, I began writing down what needed to be done. I started making plans, organizing my work, preparing my products, and moving forward with the things I had delayed. The pressure began to make sense when I responded with obedience.

Maybe you are feeling pressure right now. Before you assume something is wrong, ask God what He is trying to show you. He may be tenderizing an area of your heart, preparing you for what is next, or making it uncomfortable for you to remain where you have become settled. Do not waste the pressure. Let it move you toward prayer, surrender, and obedience.