Squeezed?

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

James 1:2-4 

 

Have you ever been under a deadline or under so much pressure from those higher up the food chain that you felt overwhelmed?  Have you ever considered it a curse not to cuss sometimes?  Have you ever been fed up?  Have you ever thought "oh, THIS isn't going to go well"?  Have you ever been so anxious and uptight that you just couldn't sleep?  Me too.

 

How about this, have you ever had so much fun doing something that you did it over and over but each time it just wasn't as much fun as that first time?

Most of my life seems to have been the model for "Murphy's Law" (if there is a way for it to go wrong, it will).  NOW, I can look back on parts of my life and chuckle.  But some parts, I'm still struggling to deal with.

But look at what James is reminding us...we WILL have problems.  We're going to have issues.  We're going to have pressure.  And when those times come, and we are squeezed, our true nature will show!

 

I admit, I was riding one night with one of Richland Counties finest, when we had to quietly exit the car.  I quietly eased my door closed and my finger got in the way.  I confess the things that came out of my mouth were far short of "Yea, verily and peace unto thee."  But once freed from that dilemma, I did apologize for my words.  The stunned deputy looked at me in amazement and said, "Pinocchio, you ARE a real boy!"

 

As we go through life, we're going to have struggles.  God never promised us otherwise!  But remember, if we only have good times we'll forget that we need God.  When we have struggles, then we appreciate how much God does for us when that struggle has passed.

 

We seldom realize how much God loves us until we look back at all He's brought us through.