under pressure

Recently, I heard a man at a conference say “People who are under pressure put people under pressure”.

Many of us are living with extreme pressure. They have little or no margin in their lives. Deadlines, expectations, unforeseen circumstances, and countless other concerns leave us feeling overwhelmed. Yet the scriptures promise over and over a “Centered life” of peace and joy. My quest is to experience this rather just talk about it on the weekends. It is the message I am seeing as I read the book of Colossians.

Paul starts the book off by talking about some people who have found a very centered life and he describes them in three ways: “Or we have heard that you trust in Christ Jesus and that you love all of God's people. You do this because you are looking forward to the joys of heaven—as you have been ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.” Colossians 1:4-5 (NLT)

Centered people: Trust in Jesus-Love God’s people-Place their primary hope in heaven

I want to talk about the first one. It is the constant challenge of my life to remain centered in Christ. To trust in Jesus is a daily discipline. I must continually remind myself of His faithfulness in my past. Trust in any relationship is built over time through actions that prove someone faithful or trustworthy. Jesus has proven Himself faithful to me for more than 15 years now.

In spite of this track record, there are times of extreme anxiety in my life. I believe these moments are the result of me getting “off center”. I have set my goals. I have made my decisions. I have taken off down a path, and now I am trying to get Him to make it a smooth one.

Could it be that the more I center my heart on Jesus the less I feel all the pressure? Maybe most of the pressure I feel is self-imposed. Maybe if I could adjust my focus and see my life from His perspective I would experience something completely different. Maybe the whole picture would change. My perspective would at least.

I mean-a life centered in Jesus has His purpose driving it right? A centered life has some margin. A centered life experiences peace in the midst of environments where others feel overwhelming pressure. A centered life finds its way back to joy after being knocked off track by life’s inevitable challenges.

Are you centering your life in Jesus? Turn to Him now and “Get Centered”.

Chris