Is Pressure Good or No Good?

By: Rev. Jeremiah Cheung

The word “pressure” cannot be found in the Bible, instead another word for pressure is used, which is “burden”. There are many kinds of burdens in the Bible:

1. Exodus 1:11 “So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.” This is the burden of work.

2. Psalm 38:4 “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.” This is the burden of sin.

3. Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Restlessness, this is burden of the heart and soul.

4. 1Cor 11:28 “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” This is the burden of ministry.

We live in a world filled with pressure. No one can escape from these pressures, but we can benefit from them. How can pressure benefit us?

I. Pressure helps us grow up

This does not mean physical growth. As long as a person receives enough nutrition, water, rest, he will grow up physically; but some people grow older year after year, and yet never grow up – in their thinking, conduct, character, and speech; they continue to be immature. Not only must we grow up physically, we must progress towards maturity. Pressure can help us grow up.

II. Pressure helps us mature

Pressure makes us face crisis, but crises bring about turning points in our lives. Without any kind of pressure, a crisis will not arise; but without crisis, there will be no turning points in our lives. Pressure is a force that helps our lives mature.

III. Pressure helps us succeed

With God and men, success is defined differently. For the world, success has to do with fame, power, fortune; fame equals success, and power equals success. This is not so in God’s eyes. However, pressure drives us towards success. In men’s or God’s eyes, pressure becomes a force that helps us succeed.