Spend a short amount of time in the presence of teens and you’ll find out quickly the role peer pressure plays in their lives; the adult world is no different. The pressure may not be any worse than it is with youth but it’s just as bad. At this stage, jobs, money and position are now at play and the community influence is still great. I have only ever lived in a small community but I have a feeling within large communities there are pockets of influence that lead to greater influence as a whole; all of which add up to one thing… Pressure! The pressure within and without a person can change direction and attitude which will serve to affect the family, church and community.
Why this is on my heart this morning I do not know, but it is and maybe it’s for you! If so let me know.
As a leader in the church I wish I had a pressure gauge tester for our congregation so that I could tell when someone was about ready to blow. Wouldn’t that be handy! At a teen retreat this past weekend the kids were so good; there were however a few ill feelings that quickly smoothed over to forgiveness because someone stayed on top of it by testing the pressure so to speak and releasing a pop off valve by allowing a teen to voice their feelings.
Often the pressure we put on ourselves is the worst. In the church comparing ourselves to someone else can have a lethal result on our spirituality; that’s why when I discovered there was a “dead weight pressure gauge tester” I giggled and wondered if there was such a thing for the congregation of the Lord? People are at all levels of pressure in the church. Some of them, mostly leadership, have so much pressure that it bursts out of them! They’re ready for action and step up to volunteer and help where ever it’s needed. For others it’s consistent pressure, meaning that they are in their place every week, they help when they can but you generally won’t see them on the platform or stepping into leadership role. And then there are those that I wish I had the gauge for…
Dead weight
They sit in the pew, seldom speak, seldom react, arrive at 11 a.m. sharp, leave at 12 noon dull, don’t even consider the Sunday School hour because they’ve obviously arrived and have no need of any further enlightenment on scripture. Am I being judgmental… only slightly. (Insert grin here).
That’s why I want that deadweight tester! Maybe there’s a reason that I know nothing about on their lack of enthusiasm for the things of God. Possibly within them is party of emotions and excitement that just doesn’t show on the outside, but if I had a “deadweight tester” and hooked them up, the gauge would read in the red zone. With me you don’t have to guess. My pressure gauge is my mouth! And it usually is wide open and letting people know if I’m excited about something.
Amos 2:13 reads “Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.”
Sometimes we have so much pressure on us in life that we’re bogged down. Amos said that the pressure on him was like that of a cart loaded down with sheaves to the point it could not move. If the weight of your world is so heavy on you that you’re just sitting, not serving, you need to either dump your load completely or distribute the load between some friends.
I hope today finds your cart rolling merrily along for Jesus!
Please post below if I’ve encouraged you, or if you’d like to share an experience. Posts must be approved before they show, just in case someone hasn’t tested their pressure lately