Driven toward truth

As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. (Psalm 119:143) 

The late Walt Disney said, "It is kind of fun to do the impossible." With God, much of what we see as impossible is really not, but that doesn't minimize the fact that the impossible comes with its own stress and pressure. There is a certain 'stress' within faith - trust requires stepping outside of our comfort zone from time to time. When we do, the pressure that can bear down on us can almost overwhelm us. This is why we must press into our relationship with Jesus even harder during these times. 

Someone once told me to enjoy that stress and feel that pressure. Why? It meant I was going to see God work within my life in ways I had never experienced before. So, I took that advice and actually took a different attitude toward all that pressure as the 'impossible' closed in around me. Do you know what happened? Before long, the 'attitude' I had assumed actually began to change my focus away from the mounting pressures and stress toward God's goodness, protection, and provision. I saw things within the Word of God that I hadn't seen before - things that helped me navigate unfamiliar territory. I enjoyed my quiet time with Jesus just a bit more because I could find renewed peace and settled emotions in those times.

Pressures and stressors abound - especially when we are faced with the 'impossible'. Some have tried to tell me we experience stress because we aren't trusting God deep enough. I have to challenge this because if that were the case, we'd never be out from under great stress and tremendous pressure! We can always trust God more, go a little deeper in our relationship with him, and have our eyes opened to truth in new ways. As our psalmist reminds us, pressure and stress should always drive us toward truth - to a firm foundation upon which we can stand strong when the winds of change are coming at us like a gale force wind. 

Truth has a way of dispelling myth and misplaced trust. When we want security and peace more than we want pressure and stress, we might just be drifting into a bit of complacency in our walk with Jesus. To experience growth requires pressure and stress. We might not know how powerful time in his Word can be until we begin to feel the pressure drive us into it just a bit deeper. We might not know how peace-filled our lives can be in the midst of trials galore until we begin to worship and lift our hearts in praise to him. When we least feel like getting truth is likely when we need it the most. Just sayin!