UNDERSTANDING
PRESSURE IN YOUR LIFE
Although Samson was bred for western pleasure, it's the use of training techniques that employ "pressure and release" that have helped to develop him into a real Champion.
IS IT GODLY PRESSURE, OR IS IT SELF-IMPOSED PRESSURE?
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him."
(James 1: 12)
In this picture, I lift and lightly bump the reins which sends an immediate signal to the curb mouthpiece (bit) in Samson's mouth. The pressure in his mouth reminds my horse to lower his head. When he obeys and lowers his head, then I immediately release the pressure.
Pressure is one of those things that is felt by everyone at one point or another in their lives, but understood by few. That's because there are different kinds of pressure in life - Godly pressure, and self-imposed pressures. And most folks mistakenly think they're one and the same. Our understanding, or lack thereof, concerning pressure and it's source will determine how we deal with it. And ultimately, it will also determine our outcome. Today, I want to talk to you specifically about Godly pressure - the kind of pressure that God allows, and even sometimes orchestrates in order to refine us, and bring about His specific purpose in our life. Keep in mind that I am not talking about self-imposed pressures that we are all guilty of creating in our own life from time to time. We'll save that for another lesson.
So, what's the difference between Godly pressure and self-imposed pressure? Simply put, self-imposed pressures are often those things that strip us of things like our relationships, our dignity, our time, and our money. Self-imposed pressures of life lead to all kinds of destructive behavior, and even life-threatening vices such as drinking, taking illicit drugs, and even promiscuity. Self-imposed pressure also seeks to rob people of their value, and even their faith. The continuation of self-imposed pressure often leads to emotional and/or mental breakdowns over time, and even premature death. On the other hand, Godly-pressure never seeks to punish or destroy a person. Instead, it seeks to awaken, renew, and advance a person towards their divine purpose and calling in life. Although Godly pressure can sometimes be just as uncomfortable as self-imposed pressure, if we understand the nature of God, then we know that the end-result of Godly-pressure is always life, and not death.
UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF PRESSURE AND RELEASE
When I lift the reins, it engages the bit and causes pressure in Samson's mouth. This is my cue for him to lower his head. When my horse obeys and lowers his head, I release the pressure. When I release the pressure, my horse has an "Ahaaa, I get it" moment. That's because horses learn from the release of pressure, and not from the pressure, itself.
It's an interesting fact, but horses don't learn from pressure. You can pressure a horse all day long, and he won't learn a single thing. It is only in the "release of pressure" that a horse learns what you are trying to teach him. In many regards, it's the same for people. Many people who feel strong Godly pressure in their life often struggle with the question, "What's going on, Lord?" When the pressure is holding them captive, so to speak, they don't seem to have a clue. As a result, you rarely meet a person who says, "Oh, I completely get it, Lord. I understand this pressure in my life." Quite the contrary, most folks gain their 20/20 vision through hindsight. In other words, it isn't when the pressure is on and they are in the thick of things that they have clarity. In fact, that can often be the time of greatest confusion. It's only after they "make the correct change and the pressure is released", that they gain an understanding of just what it is God is trying to teach them.
IF YOU CHANGE HOW YOU THINK - PRESSURE CAN WORK FOR YOU INSTEAD OF AGAINST YOU
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
(Romans 12: 2)
Just prior to this picture, my horse became momentarily distracted by something outside the arena. Instead of riding "straight and collected" as I had asked him to do, - his eyes, and hence, his head turned slightly to the right to look at the distraction. It was a minor infraction, and yet an infraction just the same. As a result, I quickly corrected him by adding pressure to the bit through my reins. This pressure served as a reminder to him to get his mind and his attention back on me and the purpose at hand.
Besides the pure joy of owning and loving many horses over the years, I've learned priceless lessons from each of them. One of the lessons I've learned is that each and every horse is an individual with their own strengths and weaknesses. But perhaps the most valuable lesson I've learned is that no matter what individual strengths or weaknesses a particular horse brings to our relationship, there is one constant that never changes - I am the Master of their fate. And because I am the Master of their fate, I am the one with the plan for their future. And because I am the one with the plan for the future, I have a strategy to bring those plans to pass.
Consider Mirriam-Webster's
definition of Strategy:
Strategy
- a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time.
Synonyms for Strategy -
arrangement, blueprint, design, master plan.
How you respond to Godly pressure in your life, and the strategies by which he applies those pressures, is directly related to how you "think" about God. If you think that God is just out to get you, or that He has singled you out for punishment, then you will respond to His pressure and strategies with a host of human emotions ranging from bitterness and hatred, to confusion, to resentment and fear, and everything else in between. The Bible instructs us to renew our mind, in other words, our way of thinking. And how do we renew our thinking? Do we engage in mind games, or chant meaningless mantra's, or practice speaking positive confessions? The answer is NO! If we really want to renew our mind and thinking, then we get serious about God in our life, and we read and study His Word (the Bible). When we do that, we learn not only who God is, but how He thinks. And suddenly, we begin to realize that we can trust the One who holds the purpose and the plan for our life.
TRUST GOD WITH THE PRESSURE
"Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee."
(Isaiah 26: 3)
In this picture, my horse has his mind and his attention fully on me, and is not distracted. As a result, I am able to ride him with a loose rein while he tracks straight on the rail, and there is no need for pressure.
Whenever I correct or add pressure to my horse, it is swift and accurate. To the unskilled eye, and unless you are a trainer, you would probably not even notice it or be aware of it. That's because the pressure I apply is like a private conversation between me and my horse. And because my horse knows me, he never misunderstands the pressure, or the reason for it. Whenever I correct or refine my horse through pressure, I "get in and get out" quick with my hands. In other words, I don't prolong the point. Also, I never use pressure as a means of punishment. In fact, I don't punish my horses for anything at all. Animals, and especially prey animals, don't understand the concept of punishment. However, they do understand the concept of release and reward. When correction is necessary, I simply let my horse "run into pressure". When he runs into pressure, he quickly begins to look for a release. When he discovers the right answer, he finds his release from pressure, and hence, his reward.
And what about you and me? Does God use pressure in our life to punish us? I believe the answer is absolutely not! We've got enough self-imposed pressures to do that job. Think of Godly pressure as one with a much higher calling; a call to produce strength, endurance, and excellence in you and me that is capable of taking us beyond our greatest dreams!
GOD'S PLANS FOR YOU ARE GREATER THAN THE PRESSURE
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not evil; to give you a future and a hope."
(Jeremiah 29: 11)
The same hands that hold the reins and are sometimes a source of pressure in his life, are the same hands that tenderly caress and remind him that he is my forever, beloved horse.
When I was growing up, my mother was a very gentle soul. And yet, she was the authority and disciplinarian in our household. When it came to me, my dad wasn't particularly gifted in disciplinary action. On the occasions that I would purposefully "test" him and his parental authority (and trust me, I tested him), he would try to ignore me completely. If I continued to push an issue (and again, trust me, I did), my dad in complete exasperation would finally rise up from his comfortable recliner, jerk his black leather belt off in one fell-swoop, and give me a "good ol' hiney whooping". Somehow, no matter the "shock and awe" of daddy's size and power, or his unbridled anger towards me, I never fully got the gist of the lesson! As a consequence, I was often a repeat offender, much to his chagrin.
And so it ended up with my quiet, soft-spoken little mother being the real "keeper of the law" at our house. I'm sure she considered it a dirty job, but somebody had to do it! Amazingly, she had the uncanny ability to control my actions with just a glance of her eye in my direction. And boy, what a glance! Talk about pressure - whenever I got that "look" from her, I knew I had better straighten up and fly right! And yet, I knew that in spite of her no-nonsense gaze that could drop me in my tracks, she loved me with her life. In so many ways, it's the same with God concerning you and me.
God loves you and me with an everlasting love, and yet, He knows just the right time, and just the right thing to do to produce in us the results that will make us victors in this life, and not victims. And He even knows just what it takes to make us more than conquerors, even overcomers in this life. Our God even knows what it takes to wake some of us up from our slumber and get our feet back on the right track. So, what does it really take?
You guessed it, friend. It takes pressure - Godly pressure!
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