“Too Much Pressure”

By: Tyra Rains

The first of something seems to have so much pressure attached to it. The first date, the first kiss, your first baby, the first time you meet someone or go somewhere. They all have these question marks by them and the pressure to get it right. We’ve heard the saying, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” But who needs that much pressure?

When we go into the first of a new year, it’s like we magically decide that everything in our life has to change. We make resolutions and goals, all of these wholesale changes that we are going to make happen. Why? Why do we do that to ourselves? I’ve done it. I decided I was going to read x amount of books, lose x amount of pounds, oh, and work out, because we all know that’s important. After a few years of trying to fix everything in my life starting January 1st, I realized it just wasn’t working. I’ll never forget the year I told my husband, Darian, I’m not making a resolution. He was appalled. He is a list maker, goal setter, rule follower. I’m incredibly thankful for him, but I just wasn’t made quite like that.

Instead, that year I decided I was going to do one thing different daily.

What if we took a more Biblical approach to change? What if we didn’t try and make it so hard? We are told to choose this day who we’re going to serve. Today is the day salvation. This is the day that the Lord has made. Give us this day our daily bread. Now faith is... Instead of trying to put pressure on ourselves to be perfect or get everything right starting at the first of the year, we choose daily to live that day on purpose. Let’s choose daily to conquer the things that come our way. How?

Never choose to change based on comparisons. You are uniquely created to be you. God knows the plans He has for you. They are good plans. He never created you to compare your plan to someone else’s plans.
Self reflection is a good thing, but self loathing is harmful. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Keep your thoughts on what the Lord says about you and become more like that. We tend to look at the things we don’t like about ourselves and try to change from a negative perspective. God sees the good in us. When we see what He sees, it’s easier to make those changes.
Daily ask the Lord to direct your path. We don’t have to ask Him to change our entire year. If we allow Him to lead us in our daily choices, our entire year will change on it’s own.

Abundant life is what we’re striving for. Life to the full, a life full of joy. A life full of purpose.

All of that comes from the small choices made in the ordinary, daily, big and small decisions in life. Yes, do some self reflection, yes, dedicate your year to the Lord. More than anything, give yourself grace. In all your ways acknowledge Him (daily) and He will direct your path.. free of pressure.