Aargh! The Pressure!

Man, life for an adult ain't easy these days. I remember seeing my mom go through so much from paying bills to people bringing her down with words. I remember my dad getting laid off from job to job no matter how good of a worker he was. I talk with my daddy O (my birth dad) about a lot of the things he goes through with his health and other changes in his life. Now that I'm 31 and have lived a little, life definitely isn't a Crystal Stair. We all experience pressure especially those who have found themselves handling multiple responsibilities. My mom tells me all the time how she's learned to be a multi-tasker. Everyone's not born with that gift but it's one of those gifts we must acquire along the way. Everyday, I find myself in various pressure situations from my family, my church, my job, and myself. Bills, bills, and more bills. Projects, ideas, thoughts, endeavors, and responsibilities I feel too overwhelmed to manage. The pressure. We look at Hollywood stars and executives of big companies with hatred and envy. We think they got it easy because they make millions and trillions of dollars. However, they have it hard if not harder than the average person. A lot of people bash pastors because they have nice cars and houses. However, they don't see the midnight times of them crying and endless sufferings they experience in their own lives on behalf of the people they lead. We love to bash parents who we feel don't discipline their kids. However, we don't see the trying to train their kids but their kids  continually disrespecting their parents at will. The pressure. In these times we're living in, we're feeling it more and more. More Americans are becoming like a person with an addiction, we have become dependent on something not good for us. We all must experience stress but it's the way we handle it counts. Some of us aren't good with stress and learn to become addicted to pain, depression, frustration, and negativity. We use our "good works" and accomplishments to mask our addictions but are bringing ourselves closer to a breakdown. My friends, how do we handle the pressures of life? How do we handle when things in our life are beating us down like Mayweather did to Ortiz? Who or what can we turn to when the plot is about to smother us out? We have the privilege of going to the One who has experienced and felt all pressure from the past, present, and future, Jesus Christ. Now, this name ain't the most popular or the most liked but the most powerful. He's known to have felt it all when He was nailed to the cross (Hebrews 5:7). Therefore, we can come to Him boldly and ask for help in our time of relief in the midst of pressure (Hebrews 4:16). He feels and sees our infirmities and is willing to help us (Hebrews 4:15). Now, when He provides us the help, we've got to receive it no matter how it looks, feels, or comes (ask the Pharisees, they missed it-Gospel of John). We don't have to buckle under pressure, we've got help. We just got to armor down and use it. Peace.