A couple of Christmases ago, I received a pressure cooker as a gift. At first, I was unaware of my great need for such a present. When I opened the beautifully wrapped item, I was grateful but genuinely thought I was just adding to the amount of unnecessary kitchen gadgets that I owned. Boy, was I wrong! To a woman who works and has a large family, it has been extra handy.
As much as I like my pressure cooker, I don’t feel the same when I am put under pressure! Whether it is pressure to get something accomplished by a certain deadline, an event that has been added to my already busy schedule, or the unnecessary pressure I put on myself (ex: pressure to measure up to others, pressure to be the perfect mom, wife, and Christian). Wow, I’m exhausted just listing the things I allow to influence my life.
When life becomes overwhelming, I tend to drift from my daily time with the Lord and begin to neglect our relationship. When I do that, the end result is not appealing. Instead of being kind, gentle, loving, joyful, and patient, I find myself losing the qualities of Christ that I desire to reflect.
I am aware that most of us deal with daily pressure, and there are times where we think, “I can handle this,” and then there are the days where we lose all composure. I am reminded that in order to be like Jesus, I must stay in constant communion with Him. It is a daily relationship that requires us to fellowship with Him through prayer, the reading of God’s word, and an absolute trust that He is capable of sustaining us in our every struggle.
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says
“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
What a precious reminder! I can come to Jesus to find rest. When I feel the daily pressure that life hurls at me, I can depend on His perfect peace to see me through.
I know that saying and doing are two different things, but I believe that if you, like me, have been under pressure in this life. You can call on Jesus, and He will give you the peace that He promised. He can carry all the weight of the burdens you have. The overwhelming pressure we feel in this life can effortlessly be lifted off our shoulders and placed in the hands of the One who can handle it all. He is faithful and desires for us to find our rest in Him.
The next time you find yourself pressed on every side, recognize that you are not alone in this life. God promised us that:
“He will never leave us or forsake us” (Heb. 13:5c)
He is working on our behalf because He loves us and is for us.
Let’s pray:
Father, this life can be overwhelming, and at times I feel as if I can not move another step from all the burdens that I carry and the amount of pressure that I face. Help me to find rest in You. Jesus, take the burdens off my back and carry them for me. Help me to learn from You and to rest in the peace that only You can give. Amen.
Amanda Patterson
Lean into Jesus Ministries
