How can I best handle pressure?

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.