~Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

Life’s pressures come in various forms. There are pressures that are beyond our control – there are pressures that we bring on ourselves – and there are pressures that other people like to force on us. No matter what the source of your pressures is, the fact of the matter is that they exist. Why does the Lord allow these pressures in our lives? I believe it is so that we can be pressed and molded into a beautiful diamond as we glorify the Lord through our actions.

One good example of pressure is when someone tries to get you to do something you do not want to do. How do you respond? Do you handle it immediately in an uncompromising manner? Or do you chew on it a while? Samson took the latter approach and look where it got him! This is one of those “pressures” that is brought on ourselves, amen?

~Judges 16:16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, [so] that his soul was vexed unto death;

Had he taken a stand from the git go, she would have given up because of his uncompromising manner. But she knew she “had him” because of her beauty. The lusts of this world can cause us to desire things that will later add to those pressures of life. That is why it is so important to be prayed up before we give in to our desires – we must make sure they are the will of God.

So what pressures are you experiencing today? Be honest with yourself. Write them down if you have to. Are they the result of disobedience? Then repent and confess it. Are they the result of outside sources where you have no control? Then lay them at the feet of the Lord and comfort yourself in His Word. Pressure reveals what you’re made of. How you react to it is a direct result of the amount of time you have spent in God’s Word. When we are confronted with life’s issues, the first thing that should pop to mind is a verse that we can pull encouragement or instruction from. Little time in the Word will leave you empty handed and empty minded 

Every pressure, no matter what its source, is allowed in our lives by God so we can become that beautiful and perfect diamond. Knowing that there’s a positive end result for those pressures in life is encouraging, don’t you think? Granted, we won’t be perfect until we reach Heaven; we are simply a diamond in the rough until that glorious day!