Jen’s Gem: Replace pressure with peace.

Over the past several weeks, my children and I have experienced a myriad of issues with the tire pressure in our cars. It started with my son getting a flat tire, followed by the warning light in my daughter’s car popping up. For me, well, it was another story.

My friends and I went out for dinner the other night and as I was parking, a symbol appeared in my dashboard. It looked like a tire pressure gauge. I presumed due to the extreme heat we’ve been experiencing that my tires had simply lost air.

The light did not come back on but the nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right wouldn’t go away. With an upcoming trip, I wanted to be sure all was well in Camry land. As my mechanic checked the tires, I perused my owner’s manual looking through the b-zillion warning lights and their meaning.

As I did this, the mechanic tried to replicate the warning light. Nearly simultaneously we discovered the problem. I’d accidentally hit the cruise control lever. My tire pressure was fine. My tires were fine. I looked at the mechanic and swore him to secrecy over my idiocy. He chuckled and said, “I wish all problems were as simple as this!”

Me too, my friend. Me too.

Twenty-four hours of worrying that my car was unfit for travel for naught. I praised God for the simple solution and yes, even got a giggle out of it myself. We have to laugh at ourselves from time to time, don’t we? Life is too difficult not to.

As you know, one of the things I do with my blog posts is look to the ordinary to find the extraordinary. I look to the natural to find the supernatural. This is how we learn and grow – when we have a teachable spirit, when we look to God and His Word for the answers.

Pressure. Anxiety. Worry. Oh my! Each day, the world wants us to be mired in each of these to the point of paralysis. What if this? What if that? We were not designed to carry these burdens by ourselves.

Actually, we were not designed to carry these at all.

If you look back to the Garden of Eden, before Adam and Eve’s sin separated them (and us) from God, there was no worry or anxiety. Why? Because they were in perfect union with God, their Creator. They had a deep, personal relationship with Him. In Him, all of their needs and wants were met.

So, if God was that way with Adam and Eve, and God does not change, then it stands to reason that He is the same for us.

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5 NKJV)

The above verse is what God said to Joshua when he took over from Moses to lead the millions of Israelites into the Promised Land. Talk about pressure! Even though Joshua was under the tutelage of Moses for many years, this was still a huge burden to bear.

God knew this. He knew Joshua would be fearful, even insecure. So what did God do? He immediately comforted Joshua, promising never to leave him. On his own, Joshua could not have accomplished God’s plan, but with God? Well, you know…

“With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27 NKJV)

The answers to every challenge, every worry, every pressure are between the first page of Genesis and the last page of Revelation. God’s Word. They are not between our ears, though we like to think they are.  And when we don’t find them there? That’s when the worry, anxiety, and pressure kicks into high gear.

Let’s agree to kick this threesome to the curb. Let’s instead, put on joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, love, patience – the fruits of the Holy Spirit, Who gives us the power to live victoriously.