Dealing with Pressure– Part 1
Dear Reader.
Welcome to this glorious month of August. I pray the Lord will perfect all that concerns you in Jesus’ name! This month, we will be examining Dealing with Pressure.
What is pressure? Pressure is the use of persuasion or intimidation to make someone do something. Another definition says to attempt, persuade or coerce someone into doing something. A single who have passed the ‘conventional’ age for marriage can face a lot of pressure from people in society, family members and even from parents. Such singles are sometimes seen as irresponsible because they think they are trying to shy away from marital responsibilities. Also, the pressure from family can mount up when other colleagues, childhood friends or even younger ones are getting married.
However, God instituted marriage, and He desires to see you married. The Word says: And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him (Genesis 2:18). Therefore for anyone desiring marriage, the Word says …no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11). He has promised not to withhold any good thing from you, and marriage is one of such thing. So as a single man, be rest assured that God has made a help meet suitable for you, and as a single woman, God has also made a man for you.
Therefore, rejoice and ask yourself what step to take as you prepare for your glorious marriage. Also, understand that if you wait without taking steps, you will waste.
To deal with any Pressure, Note this First Step:
Locate your Purpose for Living: Rick Warren said: ‘You are not an accident. Your birth was no mistake. Your parents may not have planned for you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expectedit. So, you must first locate why God created you and pursue it with all tenacity. The Word says: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:5).Do not allow the desire to get married rob you of your purpose. Understand that life is all about fulfilling a purpose; a life without purpose is mere existence, full of frustration. Therefore, invest in yourself, be the best you can be and enhance your worth, and you will be relevant not only to your world but also to your future partner.
However, from Deuteronomy 10:12, the Word of God also list out the right purpose for living: And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
From the above scripture, God requires that we live a fulfilled life. Therefore, to live a fulfilled life, we must have:
The Fear of the Lord: To fear God means to reverence and respect Him. As a single, when you reverence God, you will have regard for Him and His Word by walking in all His ways. When He commands you to wait, you don’t get impatient and move to do what you like to do. Walking through His Word is walking in His ways; His Word is His ways.
The Love of God: Loving God connotes obeying His commandments. The Word says: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21).And one of His commandments is …Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Therefore, loving God is not by singing ‘I love you Lord’. The proof of your love for God is loving the souls He loves. The Word says: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). So to reciprocate His love, you must be passionate about going after souls to see them saved.
The Place of Serving God: Serving God as a single provokes His blessings upon you. Always remember that serving God is never a loss. When faced with pressure from any source, stay dedicated to God’s interests and witness how He rewards and honours you. The Word says: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).
However, to deal with pressure, you need the help of God. To access this help, you need must be born-again. And if you are not born-again, please say this prayer: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Now, I know I am born again!
Congratulations, you are now born-again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave or forsake you. With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace, in Jesus’ name! Please write or call to share your testimonies with me through oyedepofaitha@gmail.com OR 08141320204.
For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian Bookstores: Single with A Difference, Make Your Life Count, Dating: Biblical study guide, Overcoming Anxiety and Single and Not Entangled.
