Taking The Pressure Off of Yourself

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Focusing on Dying To Self”.  We have been walking our way through the following passage for weeks.  Let’s get back to it today.

The Apostle Paul said, “The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone.  So all have died.  He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves.  He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him.  From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people.  It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks.  But we don’t think that way now.  When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world.  The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!” (2 Cor 5:14-17 ERV).

We have spent a few weeks on the line: “But we don’t think that way now.”  Next week I will transition into the last two sentences of this passage.  For today, as we close out the week, I feel led to consider the implication of what we just learned.  We have spent about a month studying this passage and the last 9 messages, in particular, focused on the importance of spiritual perception.  What I am led to deal with today is “Taking The Pressure Off of Yourself!”

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things.

1.  Many people struggle with the pressures of life.  They hold an internal debate with themselves over their self-worth, self-importance, and the meaning of life.  This internal debate often leads to stress, strain and an overwhelming pressure to perform.  God never called us to live this way.  He gave us His Spirit so we could hear from Him directly, so we could have the answers to life’s most important questions, and so we could be empowered [supernaturally] by Him to maximize our purpose and potential.

2.  You were not designed to live life with the pressure to perform.  In the military Soldiers often say, “Pressure can burst a pipe.”  This is a reminder that pressure can be extremely detrimental.  If you attempt to carry around the “cares” of life, they will weigh you down.  God designed you be a “care-caster” and not a “care-carrier”.  God wants you to cast all your cares and anxiety over to Him (1 Peter 5:7).  He can handle them, you cannot.

3.  Hearing from God is critical to shifting the pressure over to Him.

a)  Once you know you have heard from God and you are doing what He told you to do, you don’t have any pressure.  At that point you should shift all the pressure over to God.  After all, you are simply doing what He told you to do.

b)  It is not God’s will for you to live your life with the pressure to perform.  If you want to take on any pressure, it should be the pressure to BELIEVE.  As long as you BELIEVE God and you are doing ONLY what He leads you to do, all the pressure will be on Him.

4.  As a Born-Again believer you are commanded to work hard on NOT working.

a)  The highest form of faith is REST.  When you are truly in-faith, knowing that you are ONLY doing what God told you to do, you are able to enter into divine REST.  At that point you rest from your own works (Heb 4:10).

b)  The writer of Hebrews told us to labor to enter into God’s rest (Heb 4:11).  He was teaching us that we should work hard on NOT working.  We should put pressure on ourselves to NOT take on any pressure to perform.  This is not easy, because this world is programmed to put the emphasis on human ability and effort.  But you must learn to NOT do something just because you can.  You should only do what you are LED to do.

c)  When you train yourself to live life from the inside-out, doing only what you are led to do, you get to the point where you don’t accept any pressure make things happen, because you are not pursuing your own desires.  Take it from me, this is a much better way to live.

Closing Confession:  Father, this is a season of refined focus for me.  I bring my life into focus in 2016.  I am learning how to live the way You want me to live.  There was a time in my life when I pursued my own desires, doing things my own way, and it meant that I had to take on the pressure to perform.  If I did not do it, it would not get done.  If I did not make it happen, it would not happen.  But those days are OVER!  My old man is dead.  I am dead in Christ.  I died to sin, self and selfish desires.  I now live for YOU!  I only do what You tell me to do.  I only say what You tell me to say.  I only pursue what You lead me to pursue.  Living this way my eyes are on You, my trust is in You, and the pressure I used to carry around has now been transitioned over to You.  I don’t carry care anymore, I CAST IT!  I am living the life You want me to live.  I can’t work FOR grace, but I do work BY grace.  I work daily on NOT working in my ability, and ONLY working in Your strength.  Living this way I am free from the pressure to perform and I get to enjoy a stress-free environment daily!  I declare this by faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.