The cares of life weighed her down like a ton of brick and all the pressure made her feel sick. She took it one day at a time, but still, worry bogged her mind. Going through the motions of every day, she took every opportunity to escape. Like a well-oiled machine, she checked all the boxes on her list of to-do's. Burdened by so much, she could barely move.
If she could only let go of the pressure, she could see the diamonds buried underneath.
-KBT
Life brings pressure and the pressure could come from anywhere: school, work, family, friends, finances. The cares of life can weigh us down so much that we feel sick. The pressure has a way of separating us from the Lord because it comes from the world and not from God. If you could only release yourself from the pressure, then maybe you could see the diamonds that are forming underneath it all.
"Natural diamonds are formed in the heat of the earth...this far into the mantle, the pressure and heat are tremendous" (How Diamonds are Formed). I had always heard speakers and/or singers allude to the fact that diamonds are formed under pressure. They are, in fact, formed within the earth's mantle under extreme temperatures and pressure. Diamonds come to the surface because of forceful volcanic eruptions. Often, the force is so violent that it causes the diamonds to be thrown long distances. Diamonds cannot be formed without pressure. Just like diamonds, we cannot be formed without pressure. The Bible tells us that God is going to refine us.
Isaiah 48:10 (KJV)-Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
When the pressure mounts in our lives, it might seem like the perfect cop-out for giving up on God and church. However, He never promised life would be easy. In fact, Jesus understood that there would be pressure on every side and He has given us hope the pressure does not have to be our breaking point.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NKJV)
8. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair. 9. persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed...
All this talk about pressure might cause your anxiety to begin taking over. However, there is another side to this coin. God refines us through the pressure and trials of life, but that doesn't mean He wishes these things upon us just because He can. Rather than trying to find every opportunity to escape on our own, we can run to Jesus to find peace and refuge. If you feel burdened down by life, Jesus offers a safe haven for you to run to. He says in Matthew 11:28 (KJV),
28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
We can't hide from our everyday responsibilities and the stress that comes with those responsibilities. But we don't have to feel the pressure when we come to Jesus. He can wipe our tears and He will take our burdens, anxiety, fears, and pressure upon Himself so that we don't have to carry it on our own. We can find rest in the arms of Jesus, knowing He loves us no matter what.
There are going to be times in life when God chooses to refine you with pressure. When those times come, search your heart and don't allow yourself to fall into the trap of using the pressure as a cop-out. You don't have to give up when the heat gets turned up in your life. You don't have to become angry with God when the pressure seems to be too much. Like a diamond, under extreme temperatures and pressure, God wants to shape us into something beautiful that can be used for His glory. The pressure you are feeling might be working against you at the moment, but there is a purpose. Just remember, you don't have to allow yourself to be stuck in the pressure zone. In the same way a diamond bursts forth from the ground, you can be released from the pressure that has kept you buried for so long.
Sometimes we have to let go of the pressure and allow God to replace it with peace. When you are talking to God and you are in His presence, you don't have to feel the pressure. Let your stress fall away. Give Him your anxiety and allow Him to replace the pressure with His peace that passes all understanding. You don't have to worry about what He's going to think because there's no pressure in the arms of Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.