The pressure's on
I've been talking to my junior high students recently about stress; where it comes from, what it causes, how to manage it. It's been an interesting discussion and I've been surprised by their insights. We were discussing the differences between pressure and stress, how pressure can actually be good us. Pressure is unavoidable in life. We all have relationships, responsibilities, and time constraints to name a few basics. We have expectations of ourselves and other people have expectations for us. Those aren't necessary bad things. They can push us to excel and succeed. We can sometimes accomplish much more than we thought possible when the pressure is on and it causes us to rise to meet the challenge. Sometimes however, or really many times if we are honest, the applied pressures feel like they exceed our capabilities or threaten our well being. People expect more than we feel that we can give. The amount of responsibilities we have outmatches the amount of time we possess. The tasks we are given to complete exceed our skill set. We evaluate what is required of us and feel that we can't measure up. Then we start to feel stress, which if left unchecked can turn into anxiety, worry, panic, or depression.
Recently my Sunday group has been studying in the book of Psalms. I love the Psalms. I love the raw emotions and the unfiltered speech. I love how real it is. When I read the Psalms it reminds me that I'm normal. The emotional swings that I feel from hope to fear, to joy to sadness, anger to praise are all part of the human experience. Sometimes I feel a bit crazy and wonder if I'm the only one who has such massive changes of emotion, sometimes all in one week, or all in one day, or in one hour, or even one minute. The writing of the Psalms reassures me that God knows all of my feelings and He can handle them. I can come to Him with anything and He is ready for me. He isn't scared off by my anger at the injustice I perceive, or my depression over the loss I feel, or my joy at the fun I've had. What a relief!
It's been a good reminder for me of where my hope lies. At any given moment, life has a way of sneaking up on you. The responsibilities pile up, people disappoint, time runs short, sleep seems fleeting, frustrations arise. Although sometimes I'm tempted to think that chocolate is my only comfort, the truth is that my comfort and my hope lies somewhere infinitely greater. When I look around me things often really do seem overwhelming. That's why I chose the title of this blog and it's why the verses in II Corinthians 4 are so precious to me. When I look to the things I can see for hope, I am disappointed again and again. Friends are wonderful, but at least in my life, they eventually move away. Nothing seems certain or sure. I can't even comment on the political scene unfolding in my home country. The people we are looking to to lead our nation on both sides of the discussion leave so much to be desired and certainly don't inspire hope. In fact quite the opposite if I'm honest. If that's the best we can do there is certainly something wrong. And that rings true all over the world not just the part where I come from. There is always some new disease popping up to scare us (Cancers of every kind, SARS, Bird Flu, Ebola, and the Zika Virus). My list could go on and on. "So we look not to the things which are seen but the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." Wow! Isn't that a relief? The things that are unseen: "For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" The pressure is on and just when I'm tempted to think it's a bit too much and I start to transition into stress, this is exactly where I need to fix my eyes. This pressure that I'm facing isn't meaningless and it isn't hopeless. God is using it to refine me and change me. He is using it to help me grow. And in the meantime he's working in it through me to help other people along the way. Not because I'm anything special, but because He is. These pressure that pile on are not eternal, but He is and the forgiveness, hope, peace, and joy that he offers are too. That's awesome. "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away (and that is definitely happening as I'm getting older :-), our inner self is being renewed day by day."
So, I will cry out with the Psalmist (61:1-3), "Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the ends of the earth I call to you when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy." And then I rehearse for myself the million times that I have found that to be true. The countless ways that God has been my refuge. The endless times that He has come through for me. The way He has never failed on one of His promises. The ways that this year, this month, this week, and even this day He has showered me with grace and lavished His blessings on my life. The time after time after time that He has forgiven me, with far more mercy than I have shown to anyone ever. And when my eyes are facing Him then I feel it; HOPE. And the hope that I feel and the peace that it brings overshadow the pressures and push back the stress. Because the stress is only temporary, but the joy is eternal. "So will I ever sing praises to your name." (Ps.61:8) And that's why I write here, because every time that I do it focuses my eyes on Him and I see again the things that are unseen and walk away hopeful.
Recently my Sunday group has been studying in the book of Psalms. I love the Psalms. I love the raw emotions and the unfiltered speech. I love how real it is. When I read the Psalms it reminds me that I'm normal. The emotional swings that I feel from hope to fear, to joy to sadness, anger to praise are all part of the human experience. Sometimes I feel a bit crazy and wonder if I'm the only one who has such massive changes of emotion, sometimes all in one week, or all in one day, or in one hour, or even one minute. The writing of the Psalms reassures me that God knows all of my feelings and He can handle them. I can come to Him with anything and He is ready for me. He isn't scared off by my anger at the injustice I perceive, or my depression over the loss I feel, or my joy at the fun I've had. What a relief!
It's been a good reminder for me of where my hope lies. At any given moment, life has a way of sneaking up on you. The responsibilities pile up, people disappoint, time runs short, sleep seems fleeting, frustrations arise. Although sometimes I'm tempted to think that chocolate is my only comfort, the truth is that my comfort and my hope lies somewhere infinitely greater. When I look around me things often really do seem overwhelming. That's why I chose the title of this blog and it's why the verses in II Corinthians 4 are so precious to me. When I look to the things I can see for hope, I am disappointed again and again. Friends are wonderful, but at least in my life, they eventually move away. Nothing seems certain or sure. I can't even comment on the political scene unfolding in my home country. The people we are looking to to lead our nation on both sides of the discussion leave so much to be desired and certainly don't inspire hope. In fact quite the opposite if I'm honest. If that's the best we can do there is certainly something wrong. And that rings true all over the world not just the part where I come from. There is always some new disease popping up to scare us (Cancers of every kind, SARS, Bird Flu, Ebola, and the Zika Virus). My list could go on and on. "So we look not to the things which are seen but the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." Wow! Isn't that a relief? The things that are unseen: "For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" The pressure is on and just when I'm tempted to think it's a bit too much and I start to transition into stress, this is exactly where I need to fix my eyes. This pressure that I'm facing isn't meaningless and it isn't hopeless. God is using it to refine me and change me. He is using it to help me grow. And in the meantime he's working in it through me to help other people along the way. Not because I'm anything special, but because He is. These pressure that pile on are not eternal, but He is and the forgiveness, hope, peace, and joy that he offers are too. That's awesome. "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away (and that is definitely happening as I'm getting older :-), our inner self is being renewed day by day."
So, I will cry out with the Psalmist (61:1-3), "Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the ends of the earth I call to you when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy." And then I rehearse for myself the million times that I have found that to be true. The countless ways that God has been my refuge. The endless times that He has come through for me. The way He has never failed on one of His promises. The ways that this year, this month, this week, and even this day He has showered me with grace and lavished His blessings on my life. The time after time after time that He has forgiven me, with far more mercy than I have shown to anyone ever. And when my eyes are facing Him then I feel it; HOPE. And the hope that I feel and the peace that it brings overshadow the pressures and push back the stress. Because the stress is only temporary, but the joy is eternal. "So will I ever sing praises to your name." (Ps.61:8) And that's why I write here, because every time that I do it focuses my eyes on Him and I see again the things that are unseen and walk away hopeful.
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