The Pressures of Life
Pushing through when it hurts
I decided to treat myself to a massage yesterday at the end of a long and busy day. After fighting through rush hour traffic in the rain, I finally arrived at my appointment slightly frazzled and fully ready to enjoy sixty minutes of relaxation. My masseuse greeted me with a warm smile and inquired about any problem areas. I told her about the tightness in my upper back. Her recommendation: Deep tissue. My response: No thank you.
You see, I wanted to close my eyes and enjoy my massage in peace. I wasn’t up for gritting my teeth and squirming in pain, something I experienced during my first (and last) deep tissue massage a couple years ago. Give me the Swedish massage and hot stones. Please, and thank you.
But my plan went awry the moment she started massaging the knot in my back. I immediately knew I had to let go of what I wanted because it wasn’t the best remedy for what I truly needed. Yes, a gentle massage would feel good, but it wouldn’t alleviate my tension. If I wanted true relief and lasting change, I had to surrender. I had to go deep.
So, I took a breath and told her, “Apply the pressure.”
For the Good
How can something so painful be good for me?
As she kneaded my back muscles with her elbow, I closed my eyes and thought about life’s trials and the pressures that weigh us down. Certain circumstances can feel excruciating, like the rolling wave of grief that pursues us relentlessly, and we find ourselves crying out for relief. The smothering feels heavy. The pressure pins us down, stifling our movement. We look for a way of escape because we don’t want to sit in those moments. You know the ones that feel overwhelming and too much to bear. And it’s difficult to trust the process and consider what’s on the other side of the smog when you’re in the thick of it. We don’t want to go through. We want to get out.
Our perception is limited because we don’t know everything. When my masseuse recommended a deep tissue to break up the knots, I disregarded her expertise to avoid the pain. But the temporary pain was good for me. I left my session in better shape, the pain in hindsight because of the relief I obtained in the aftermath.
The easier route doesn’t automatically mean better. We may come out on the other side unchanged. Same attitude. Same heart condition. Same patterns. God is more concerned about our transformation than our desire for an easy way out.
At times, our faith muscles will be stretched and pulled like never before. We may think we know what is best for us, but God knows what we need. He’s working things out within us, cultivating our character, building endurance, and strengthening our feeble arms in our wilderness seasons. He’s changing our hearts and transforming us so that we reflect His image and look more like Christ.
It’s difficult to trust the process and consider what’s on the other side of the smog when you’re in the thick of it.
The Surrender
Isn’t there a shortcut or easier way out of here? I don’t want this pressure!!
I’ve struggled to see beyond my pain in some of my darkest seasons. It seems impossible in real–time, and I find myself wrestling with the pressure. But as I look back on those moments, I can see God at work, and the many ways His hand held me up under the pressure. My suffering seasons have helped me grow and matured my faith. They’ve made me more resilient.
It can be easy to forget the good when the pressure kicks up a notch. But Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” It’s a reminder that things will be okay because God is working everything out for us. He’s molding, forming, and shaping us in the process. He’s breaking us free from what doesn’t belong.
But the breaking requires surrender on our part. Trusting that the Maker knows what’s best. Believing He won’t put more pressure on us than we can bear. Letting His light guide our path and birth a new thing within us. Releasing our pain into His hands so that He can transform our broken pieces into something beautiful.
My prayer: May we stay the course in the wilderness. May we withstand the heat in the fire. May we fight the temptation to give up in the face of adversity. May we keep breathing through the temporary pain. And when our legs buckle underneath the pressures of life, may we bend our knees to pray and surrender our concerns to The One holding us up. Amen.
Weekly Prompt: Think about some of the trying times in your life. How have those moments strengthened you? How have the pressure of life cultivated your faith?
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18