The following is from DHF Church Liason, Rick Grace:

Pressure does some crazy things. Nan & I were flying back from Florida but before we boarded the plane, I filled my water bottle. During our flight, I grabbed my water bottle and pushed the button to open it. When it opened, it turned into Mt. Vesuvius! Water shot into the air and arced toward the seat in front of me. Though it seemed to be happening in slow motion, I was powerless to stop the geyser.   

Paul wrote his second Corinthian letter after a pressure-filled trip “in the province of Asia” (II Cor. 1:8a), now western Turkey. He referenced but did not elaborate on the hardships he suffered there (v. 8). But those struggles caused the apostle to pen one of his most personal confessions.

Paul confessed “we were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life” (v. 8). I am guessing we’ve all had seasons of living under great pressure. They could have been triggered by an unexpected job loss or transfer, the loss of a relationship, or other such events. We could feel Vesuvius starting to boil within us, but for the most part, we were able to keep things in check and go on with life. 

I am also guessing many, if not most of us, have lived through seasons we judged were beyond “our ability to endure.” It might have been brought on by a difficult diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, or a difficult or prodigal child. The unrelenting pressure of the situation took its toll, and with Paul, we felt life itself to be unbearable.  

Listen as Paul continued: “this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (v. 9). When our support pillars are knocked from under us, God is still there, inviting us to trust him. We “know” we are not self-reliant, but pressure takes that knowledge to a much deeper level. Pressure can do some crazy things, like causing us to rely on the God who can, and does, raise the dead to be with him forever! 

Earlier, Paul argued we can translate the comfort we received from Christ while under pressure to others in similar situations (v. 4). Author Henri Nouwen writes “if we allow Jesus to meet us at the point of our brokenness, we will discover our greatest ministry.” Pressure can do some crazy things, like turning our deepest pain into a platform giving us the opportunity to bless others far beyond ourselves.

Pressure can do some crazy things. After watching the stream of water on the plane arc toward the seat in front of me, most of it splashed high off the back of the seat and back into my lap. If the passenger in front of me knew how close he came to being drenched, he never let on. I settled into my seat for the rest of the trip, hoping the two-hour flight would allow the front of my jeans to dry before we landed!

Rick Grace

DHF Church Liaison