11th November - Under Pressure

Under Pressure

by Robyn Weir

 For this week’s Wednesday wisdom, I’m going to chat a little bit about pressure. I would love to say I volunteered for it but its more realistic to say I was assigned it because anyone who knows me, knows that one of my mottos or catchphrases in life is “diamonds are made under pressure”,although to be honest, that has always been more of an excuse for my procrastination but here we are.

So let’s gets started…

Pressure is something I guarantee everybody has been through in their life or will face at some point. It may have been just a passing moment or something that has stayed with us for a long period of time. For me, I have felt pressure I would say most of my life. And I know some people are watching this and thinking “Robyn, you’re only 24 what have you had to be stressed or feel pressure about” and you know what that’s very true, I’ve been very blessed in my life and a lot of people have been through a lot worse. 

For me pressure has come in a lot of different forms, peer pressure, pressure from my family and biggest of all, pressure from myself. I have been alive for 24 years and 20 of those have been in the education system. That’s 20 years of being told to just do your best but no-one ever told you what to do if you felt like your best wasn’t good enough. 

I’m not comparing finger painting in p2 to A-levels but it’s all relative. 

At that time in your life, that has been the most high-pressured situation you have experienced up to that point and you want to make the best painting to give to your parent or to get a good job stamp from your teacher. 

I’m sure a lot of you guys can relate to that. When you turn 8 or 9 you start to prepare for the AQE (the transfer test in my day). From that age on, every year in school is based on academic pressure to do well in exams, homework and coursework because it determines which school you get into, what GCSE’s you can do, then what a-levels you can do, then what degree you can do and then what job you can do. Then how high up in that job you can get. 

That’s a long time to feel that way and a long time for that pressure to build and build and build as the stakes seemingly get higher.

I’m not going to lie, I don’t deal with pressure very well (even writing this I could feel my heart getting faster and faster and my hands shaking and sweating) but because of that I’ve had to really apply my faith to it and put a lot of work in to get better.

 So how do you cope? 

My understanding of pressure or my own experience with it, is mostly the desire to strive for a certain outcome. You can work your socks off to get the grades, get the job, get the promotion, to look good for others, to hold your relationships together but the reality is we are not in control of our own outcomes. And when you first hear this, it’s incredibly scary and daunting but in actual fact, it’s something to take great comfort in.

 Coping mechanisms are something you can recite off a google search. Exercise, to do lists, mindfulness, good sleep hygiene etc. Which are all great but the one thing that has helped me the most has been God and my faith in Him.

Since the pandemic hit, my job has been verging on unbearable and I’m not exaggerating. I wasn’t sleeping, I had palpitations and I was in foul form most of the time but it would have been a lot worse had we have not been prepared. 

 Before COVID even hit NI we had bulk ordered months’ worth of drugs and built a giant screen ready to be fitted into the shop. It was really scary. Similarly, to this, we can’t wait for something to hit our lives and then try and deal with it. Instead we need to be prepared for when the time comes and that way you have a head start. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking as a Christian you don’t get exposed to hard times but that’s not the case, it just means we have a God to help us through it. So read your bible, pray, build a support group of Christian friends so when hard times come about you’re ready to face it. 

 Back in July I filled a wee Bible study journal out about psalm 33 about the steadfast love of God and hopefully this provides the context I’m trying to get across. 

 So why not take some time now and read psalm 33. It’s very short and won’t take you long.

 These are the main things I took from it. 

Verses 6-9 - These show us how powerful God is. With little effort such as a breath or a word so much was created so much so we should be in awe. He simply “spoke and it came to be” 

 It says in vs 10 - With this it reminds us not to rely on ourselves and we shouldn’t be foolish enough to think that our lives are our own and we live by our own rules and responsible for our own outcomes.

No one saw a pandemic coming on December 31^st 2019 as they counted down, excited for a new year with new opportunities. God did though. 

But even among all this chaos and unimaginable pressure as no one knows what he future or the outcome will be, He still has our backs vs 14.

And lastly vs 20-21 tell us he is our help and our shield because we trust in his holy name. 

See the funny thing is God is in control, everything we do fits into His plan and so we should be doing everything in life in His name and to glorify Him. 

And see all that pressure other people put on you or you even out on yourself to be best you can be, that’s irrelevant in God’s eyes, He always loves us, regardless if we disappoint him. 

You don’t need a UCAS application or the best CV to get into heaven. Just love, trust and to accept God as your saviour. 

That’s the ultimate outcome in life and it’s the simplest. 

You see yes diamonds are made under pressure but in the right environment, if the environment is wrong you get coal.

So what will your environment be? Is it where you block God and church out and try and do life all by yourself and follow your own path, or is it an environment where God and your soul can thrive with constant guidance and someone to rely on to help you through the most high pressured times? 

Don’t forget, the Lord says in Jeremiah 29v11

“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”

How encouraging in this current climate, no need to stress, Gods got this and if God is for us who can be against us?