Question 1

What are some dangers of pressure?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 13:22“The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.”Luke 10:40-41Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!”Pressure of inner expectations, world-centered values, and unrealistic timelines can cause us to focus on the trivial and miss the significant. As pressure squeezes our perspective inward, we lose our ability to look outward. Preoccupation with the constant urgency of the moment blinds us to the bigger picture, in which our concerns are not central.Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.Mark 14:38“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”Pressure that leads to ignoring consistent spiritual practices and our acknowledgement of God often makes us especially vulnerable to temptation, because it weakens our resistance.1 Kings 11:4In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been.Psalm 1:1-3Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.Pressure from unwise significant relationships can make us rationalize sin and compromise our beliefs. The pressure of peers and the seduction of riches can so occupy our hearts that we leave no room for God. Lust crowds out true love, whether in our relationship with our spouse or with ungodly friends.Psalm 6:7My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.Psalm 31:9-10Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.Psalm 77:2-4When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help. . . . You don’t let me sleep. I am too distressed even to pray!Pressure that comes from grief over loss or personal sin can have negative physical effects on us. The mind, soul, and body are interrelated. As one malfunctions, the others get out of sync. Spiritual distress can induce physical or mental distress, just as physical or mental distress can induce sickness in your soul.

Question 2

Is pressure ever a positive force in our lives?

Accepted Answer

1 Samuel 13:9So he [Saul] demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.2 Chronicles 32:31When ambassadors arrived from Babylon to ask about the remarkable events that had taken place in the land, God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart.Proverbs 24:10If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.Luke 4:1-2Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.Romans 5:3-4We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.James 1:2-4When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.Pressure that comes from testing can develop our strength of character. The question is not whether we will have pressure in our lives, but what will we do with pressure when it comes? Just like academic testing, the purpose is not to cause failure but to demonstrate advancement in learning. If we deal with pressure in our own strength, we may be quickly and easily overcome. If we bring God into the picture, his wisdom will show us how to come through the pressure stronger and more joyful.Ecclesiastes 3:1-11For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.Hebrews 3:7, 13, 15That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, . . . You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. . . . Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”Hebrews 4:7So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”The urgency of God’s pressure in our lives can be positive. God presses us to make decisions about him while the time is right and about doing his work at the right time. To respond to his life-giving pressure has eternal benefits. To ignore it will lead to eternal disaster.1 Peter 1:17Remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”Matthew 12:36“I [Jesus] tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.”The pressure of impending death and the coming judgment day can encourage us to right living today. A casual attitude toward God’s judgment may cause us to become careless about sin today.Deuteronomy 6:4-9“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”Ecclesiastes 12:11The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.The pressure to learn can be a positive aspect of home life and daily living, especially when it involves learning Scripture, which brings wisdom and life-affirming practices.Judges 10:7-10So the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites, who began to oppress them that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites east of the Jordan River in the land of the Amorites (that is, in Gilead). The Ammonites also crossed to the west side of the Jordan and attacked Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. The Israelites were in great distress. Finally, they cried out to the Lord for help, saying, “We have sinned against you because we have abandoned you as our God and have served the images of Baal.”Although we probably don’t welcome painful pressure from ungodly people or the adversity they can bring, these challenges can have great benefit in our lives if they turn us back to God.

Question 3

How can I best handle pressure?

Accepted Answer

Mark 14:33-36He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”When we are suffering under painful pressures, follow Jesus’ example of praying to God, seeking support from other believers, and focusing on God’s will for our lives. These actions will help us experience God’s grace and healing in difficult times.Psalm 119:143As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.Matthew 4:10“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”Immerse yourself in and obey God’s Word, where you will find the secrets to lasting joy. Upload Scripture to your mind through memorization and spend time considering what God has said by meditation. The more you find joy in the Lord and his Word, the less you will feel stress from external pressures.1 Samuel 30:6David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.Psalm 23:1The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.Psalm 62:1-2I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.We need to learn to focus on God’s power and ability to solve our problems. We must practice both the sovereignty and the comfort of God’s shepherd role in our lives. We must believe that he cares and that he will help; otherwise, we will fail to seek his help and thereby receive it.Exodus 18:17-18, 24-26“This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.” . . . Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves.Allowing others to help us with the load is often an overlooked solution to the mounting pressure we feel from trying to do everything ourselves. Learning to delegate to capable people in our lives can be a life-giving practice, and it builds our relationships with others and strengthens our communities at the same time.Genesis 39:9-10“No one here has more authority than I [Joseph] do. He [Potiphar] has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.Daniel 1:8Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.Daniel 3:14, 16-18Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? . . . Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”The pressure we feel from a temptation to sin is often best handled by acknowledging sin for what it is and standing firm in our commitment to resist it. Standing firm sometimes means literally running away from temptations that may be too powerful for us to resist in our current situation or condition.Matthew 11:28-30Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”John 14:1, 27“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. . . . I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”John 16:33“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”Philippians 4:6-7Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.1 Peter 5:7Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.Embrace the peace that comes from knowing that God is in control and that he cares. Reject the doubts that rise from the pressures of circumstances and other people. Let God carry your burdens to relieve the pressure and help you endure.2 Corinthians 4:8-10We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.2 Timothy 4:5You should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.We must persevere and stay focused, particularly during times of hardship or suffering. Pressure can draw us closer to Jesus if we consistently ask him to help us with it.

Question 4

Are there ways to prevent or minimize pressure?

Accepted Answer

John 16:33“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”1 Corinthians 10:12-13If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.James 1:2-3When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.God’s Word does not encourage us to hope for avoidable or minimized pressure. It doesn’t say “If troubles come” but “When troubles come,” creating pressure on us to be ready, rather than assuming God’s purpose is to shield us from pressure. God’s presence is more apparent and helpful in the middle of a trial than when everything seems calm. We usually learn more and grow more during hard times, when we have no doubt that we need God’s help.Isaiah 33:2Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble.Isaiah 40:28-31Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.The Lord wants to give us strength every day, not just in times of trouble. Calling on his wisdom and power every day will ease the pressures that have built up while we were trying to do things on our own. Waiting on the Lord involves acknowledging his timing in the ebb and flow of pressures in our lives.1 Kings 22:13-14Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.” But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”Daniel 1:8Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.We need to determine to be faithful to God before the times of pressure come. We should ask God to help us identify the lines we will never cross. It is much harder to make those decisions when the pressure of temptation is already on.Psalm 38:4My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear.Isaiah 48:17-18This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.”When we obey God, we avoid the pressures and complications in our lives that come from sin. The pressure of consequences that flow from bad decisions and actions can be avoided by making wise choices. God gives us his instructions to live by because he loves us and wants our lives to be wholesome and satisfying.Psalm 1:1Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.1 Corinthians 15:33Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”We will respond to and avoid many sinful pressures better if we choose godly companions and counselors to help us.Psalm 69:1Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck.Matthew 14:28-30Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.Ask God for help with situations before they become catastrophes. But recognize that sometimes you don’t remember how badly you need God’s help until a catastrophe is imminent. When you are suddenly in trouble, don’t hesitate to cry out for help.

Question 5

What can I do to resist negative peer pressure?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 1:1-3Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.Matthew 7:20“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”James 4:17Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.Recognize that peer pressure that does not encourage you to godly living is probably encouraging you to ungodly living. The advice, company, or acceptance by ungodly people is not worth the cost of a ruined life and separation from God.Matthew 4:1-11Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.1 Corinthians 10:13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.Look for God’s way out in every tempting situation. God’s way may take you away from, around, above, or through the temptation. But it will get you safely to the other side. Remember that Satan’ approach will always be to make you doubt God’s way by trying to convince you the cost of following God will be greater than the cost of yielding to temptation—a boldfaced lie.Exodus 23:2“You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice.”Proverbs 24:1Don’t envy evil people or desire their company.One of the bests way to resist negative peer pressure is to choose wise peers. Evil will always create the impression that those flaunting God and his ways are having a good time. The pleasures of ungodliness are fleeting and the consequences can be eternal.Isaiah 8:11The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does.Luke 20:21“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully.”Romans 12:1-2I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.Wrong thinking leads to wrong actions. We must align our thinking with God’s thinking, even as we make ourselves available to God for his purposes in the world.Matthew 1:20, 24As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” . . . When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.Obey God no matter what others may think. If you are not exactly on track, he is able to correct you. Joseph’s initial response to Mary’s announcement displays wisdom not only in what he felt he needed to do (call off the engagement) but also in the way he intended to do it (privately out of kindness for Mary). God showed him the crucial assumption of his that was wrong, and Joseph immediately revised his plans. What God thinks of us is infinitely more important than what others think of us.Daniel 6:11-16Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?” “Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.” Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.” So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”Matthew 14:9Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders.We must be sure never to let our pride or the risk of embarrassment keep us from doing the right thing.Ephesians 4:24Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.Colossians 3:9-10Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.Our character as God’s people should reflect God’s nature. The “putting on” aspects of this include our intentional engagement in spiritual disciplines and practices that God’s Word instructs us to do. This includes spending time in prayer and the study of Scripture.

Question 6

How can I help others who are under pressure?

Accepted Answer

Galatians 6:1-2If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.Philippians 2:4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.Never be so preoccupied with your own pressures that you become insensitive to the pressures others face. Often as we help others with their pressures, we end up relieving some of our own.1 Corinthians 8:9You must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.We should be careful not to bring unnecessary pressures to other believers. A strong Christian may handle a lifestyle that would be a disastrous model for a weaker Christian. And we should be cautious about calling out what we see as sin in someone else, unless we are first willing to admit that we may be the weaker brother or sister.Genesis 25:32-33“Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.Never take advantage of others, especially in their times of weakness.Proverbs 12:25Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.Proverbs 27:17As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.Hebrews 10:24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.Be an encouragement to others who are under pressure. Your role may be to help them endure or to help them find God’s way of escape. Treat them with love and honesty—grace and truth.