Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
October 29, 2006 - W0644

Life is filled with all kinds of pressures. It can be a positive pressure that can turn a piece of coal into diamond. Or a negative pressure which is able to crush a person. There’s a kind of pressure that can either inflate a tire or deflate your confidence. Pressures can also cause you to do a right or wrong action. And, there’s a kind of pressure that is able to cause pain or stop a bleeding.

There are all kinds of pressures, but let’s talk about negative pressure. Such as when you’re pressed into a corner, a peer pressure, or sexual pressure, which is selling or compromising your values to someone who promises you something, be it love or acceptance. And of financial pressure, where you’re buy something you know you shouldn’t buy.

No matter what the pressure is, it is important to understand that it affects us internally. In addition, there will be advice given from others on what we should and shouldn’t do. Needless to say, decisions will need to be made. So how are we to make divine decisions in the midst of pressure? Well, did you know that God’s voice will be a whisper amongst the noise around you? Yes, God will not be yelling you, but guiding you with His wisdom for He knows what’s best for you. Here’s what the Bible says about the world’s pressure and about God. 

“Don’t let the world squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all your demands and moves toward the goal of true maturity” (Rom. 12:2 Phillips)  

There are several common denominators if practiced would enhance divine decisions in the midst of pressure. And we’ll need to take time to think about these. In Asia when you are thinking, no one bothers you. But when you are actively doing something someone will bother you. Where as in America if you’re taking time to think, someone will bother you. And if you’re busy doing something, no one will bother you. So why is this? Well in America we believe that thinking is wasting time or day dreaming. On the contrary, it’s not. So do take time to think. It’s a dying art in America.

Did you know that one definition of prayer is thinking? It is thinking deeply about something in the presence of God. So when we come before God, we stop all the things that are going on in our lives to think and pray. We should think and pray about how we may improve our marriages and relationships with our children. And, of the things God is calling you to do. After we think and pray, we should write them down and meditate upon them. This is so important because it will help steer you in the right direction. It’s sort of like a GPS inside of us.

Otherwise we’ll basically react to situations rather than respond to them. You’ll manage time but you’ll never lead your life. Think of it this way, managers will solve the problems of today but leaders will solve the problems of tomorrow. So if you’re a man who’ll lead your family, then you’ll need some time to think. Why? Because you’ll need time to solve tomorrow’s problems.  Moreover, you’ll have treasures in your value system that will prepare you for when pressures arise and decisions need to be made. Thus, here are two considerations. The first thing to think about regarding your values is to…

ESTABLISH LIFE’S HIGHEST TREASURES.

In other words, what are life’s highest treasures to you? Is it money, fame, acceptance, a position or notoriety? Could it be a clear conscious and being able to live with oneself with no regrets? Or, would it be having a genuine relationship with your family and having a clean heart? Nonetheless, we’ll need to establish these, so take time to think about it. Because if not, when a point of pressure is upon you, another person’s values will be upon you and you’ll be forced to accept theirs.

So first, establish life’s highest treasures. So when life’s pressures are in the midst, you can say no to this or that. You’ll be calm because there’s something more valuable to you than what they’re offering. 

“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, ‘Come with us…Throw in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse,’ My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path” (Pro. 1:10-11, 14-15.)  For women a purse is where they draw their valuables or currency from. So when the scriptures say “let’s have one purse”, what the world is saying is let’s have the same values, goals and treasures. But listen, what happens is when you’re under pressure, your value system will be what the world says and you’ll succumb to it and sell your faith.

If one of your treasures is to accumulate money, it is not a worthy enough goal for the investment of your whole life. Your life is far more valuable than this. In the end when you’re lying in the casket, no one is going to say that you had lots of money. If you listen to people at funerals, they’ll say things like, he was a great friend and had a heart of gold for people. You’ll notice all the character qualities come out at funeral time. In the end, this is the legacy left behind for others. Therefore, treasures in life should be established early on.

The second thing we need to think about is our tendency to want something. This is where influence and desire take hold and we find ourselves desperately needing it. It’s called a craving. Be it a craving for a car, computer, girlfriend or boyfriend. We’ll need to think about it and banish cravings once and for all. Besides establishing life’s highest treasures here is the second thing to think about…

BESIDES GOD, NEVER CRAVE ANYTHING!

Yes, a craving is a dangerous thing! It’s a need that’s desperate to be fulfilled. When you crave something or someone, you are more vulnerable to be pressured into doing something you don’t want to do. So be careful. Someone once told me, Wayne you’ll have two pains in life. One is when you don’t get what you crave for and the other pain is when you get it. I’ve noticed that when I’ve wanted or craved something, it was either by a short cut or a compromise. Nonetheless, it ended as regret.

The Bible tells us, Mt. 15:13 “every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted”.  Prv.20:21 “and inheritance came hurriedly  in the beginning will not be blessed in the end”. In other words, if it doesn’t come from God, don’t touch it. Whereas,  Prov. 10:22”It is the blessings of the Lord that maketh rich and He adds no sorrow to it”. Jam. 117 “every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting of shadow”.

Listen if you’re craving something, what you’re saying is you don’t care where it comes from, you just want it. You’ll then get it by hook or crook. This happened with the children of Israel while God provided for them. Yes they too still craved. Yet, this is what happened to them. “They quickly forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but craved intensely in the wilderness…” (Psm. 106:13-14). “And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul” (Psm. 106:13-14).  This tells us they got what they craved, but got leanness in their souls. In other words, their souls were empty even as they got what they craved for.

So how do we deal with cravings? If you find yourself craving for something whether it be a car, a house or a new electronic gadget - fast it intentionally! Tell yourself that you will still be alive tomorrow even if you don’t buy it. This way you’ll intentionally not buy it. Try it! You’ll see and realize that you can do without it. Better yet, you can rent it or borrow someone else’s. By this you’ll save tons of money by not giving in to buying the latest thing. Sometimes, we just need to die to things. And the good thing is that we’ll find that we can live without it. “For His sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ…” (Phil. 3:8 TEV).

                                          THREE DIVINE PRINCIPLES

Remember; establish life’s highest treasures first. And secondly, besides God, never grave anything. Here are three divine principles to make wise decisions when under pressure. The first of three keys is…

1. ESTABLISH INNER ANCHORS EARLY ON.

When you’re young your parents, teachers and counselors will place anchors on your life, actions and your attitude on the outside. Why? Because you’re too young to make decisions on your own. For example, what time you need to be home, how much money you’ll spend etc. are anchors that are placed on the outside of you.

But as you grow older your parents will start to cut anchors. And when this happens, you’ll need to immediately put an anchor similar to the one that just got cut. You see, you’ll need to set anchors inside yourself for yourself which will be your values. For example when you graduate from high school you’ll buckle loose because you’re an adult now and all the anchors are cut. Imagine girls gone wild! Yet, these are foolish choices made under peer pressure.

So place anchors of values in your life. It will give you an assurance, a confidence and direction. ‘Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old…” (Ecc. 12:1 NLT). In addition, Prov. 22:15 “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. But the rod of discipline removeth far from him”. It is important to understand that this is not the rod of punishment, condescension or anger. So the first is to establish inner anchors early on. The second is…

2. RESPECT MAN BUT FEAR GOD.

Don’t let your faith be belligerent, so be respectful. For fearing God gives you a higher principle by which you will steer your life. Someone said, when you fear God you’ll fear nothing else. But if you fear man, you will fear everything else. “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted” (Prov. 29:25). This tells us the Lord will exalt us, not man. Sometimes we sell our faith because we think man is going to exalt us. Yet, the Bible tells us, Psm. 75 “Promotion cometh neither from the east nor the west. Promotion cometh from the Lord. He lifts one up and puts another one down”.

So what’s fear? Fear is similar to respect, but a huge respect. It’s a respect that says I know our God, His benefits, love and compassion for me. At the same time, knowing His power and how devastating it is. Above all, work with Godly principles and respect it highly. Because if you violate a principle, it can kill you. Just imagine, with a Word from God, a mountain will melt. With a snap of God’s finger, nations can be destroyed. So don’t dance with the principles of God, for the wages of sin is death. If it wasn’t for God’s compassion towards us, we’d all be fried by now “…those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed” (1Sam. 2:30).

There will be times where God will whisper to you when you’re under pressure. This will be when your flesh won’t want to do what God tells you. Neither will your mind want to listen to what He says. Please know that when God gives you direction, he’ll never yell, but whispers. Intone your ear to His voice. After this, He’ll let you decide.  

So if your flesh is saying how can it be wrong when it feels good, here is the third and final point to making divine decisions.

3. OBEY FIRST, EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND UNTIL LATER.

One of the greatest test of maturity and signs of maturing is obeying rather than going by how you feel. For some people they will never obey until it’s fully explained to them. But obeying even if you don’t understand is a sign of maturity. So even if your flesh is fighting the other way, obey God’s principles. Because later on you’ll see that it was the best decision you made.

This happened with Thomas. He was one of the disciples who was called doubting Thomas. Why? Because when Jesus was resurrected, he was the one who needed to see Jesus’ pierced hands and side in order to believe that He was resurrected. When Jesus appeared, He called to Thomas and told him to put his hand in His nail print and side. And this was Thomas reply, “Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed’” (Jn. 20:28-29). What Jesus was saying is Thomas because you see now that you believe and will obey. But there is a far greater blessing for those who will obey first even if they don’t yet see.

Some time ago while in a youth group, I asked a youth Pastor Don Mahaulko how he came to Christ. He said it was when someone made a good decision under pressure. He told me a story that while in high school he had attended a science assembly. The scientist that spoke taught about evolution and Darwinism. While teaching, the scientist stopped and mentioned that he hoped none of the kids believed in the fable of the Bible. He added that the Bible was far off and there was a need to have a good scientific record.

After this, Don said a couple of rows before him a guy stood up and said “I do”. At this point, everyone was looking at this student and started snickering. The scientist asked him if he believed in the Bible fables and the student replied, yes sir. The scientist then instructed him to come down. So this student walked down the stairs down to the front. Then the scientist questioned the student by asking him if he spoke to this God. And the student replied, yes I do. The scientist then continued, and He talks back to you? Again, the student answered, yes He does.

The scientist could not believe this. He then reached behind him and got a test tube and stood cockily. He tested the student by saying, if I dropped this test tube on the floor and you pray to your God that it doesn’t break, it won’t break? And the student said, yes sir if God doesn’t want it to break, then it won’t break. The scientist said good then I’ll drop it. With this, the student asked, before you drop it can I pray? The scientist eagerly replied, pray! So the student got down on his knees in front of the rest of the students. Imagine how difficult it must have been for him to do this, knowing he won’t be accepted by the other students!

Well he prayed, Lord you know you’re real and I know you’re real. But these people don’t. Somehow, would you let them know, Amen! After this, he stood up and said ok, you can drop it to the scientist. So the scientist flicked the test tube up in the air which took a couple of turns and fell on the scientist own shoe and rolled over unbroken!

When Don saw that someone had a solid faith under pressure and made a decision for God, He said he knew he could too. He added that God was already speaking to him, but was too afraid of rejection.

Listen; there will be times when God will help you make divine decisions under pressure. And it may not be for you, but for those who are watching you. In recapping, don’t let the world squeeze you into its own mold. But establish life’s highest treasures for your life. And besides God, never crave anything! Then establish inner anchors early on when outside anchors get cut. Also remember to respect man, but fear God. And obey first, even though you may not understand until later. This is a spiritual growth and a test of maturity. Above all with God’s principles we’ll make divine decisions under pressure! We can do it! Amen.

Q1) Recall a pressure that required your decision. What was your choice and the outcome.

Q2) When was the last time you had time to think for yourself? Is there a place and time where you can have time to listen to God?

Q3) List any cravings you may have. Then ask yourself if you will still be alive even if you can’t have it.    

Q4) What impacted you most and how will you be different?