Public Pressure

Topics: Pressure

Lloyd J. Ogilve, in his book Life Without Limits, tells the story of a
pastor who in the space of one week heard the following comments from
various people:

A woman said, "I'm under tremendous pressure from my son these days. I can't
seem to satisfy him, however hard I work. He really puts me under pressure."

A young man said, "My parents have fantastic goals for me to take over the
family business. It's not what I want to do, but their pressure is
unbearable."

A college woman said, "I'm being pressured by my boyfriend to live with him
before we are married. You know...sort of try it out...to see if we are
right for each other."

A husband said, "My wife is never satisfied. Whatever I do, however much I
make, it's never enough. Life with her is like living in a pressure cooker
with the lid fastened down and the heat on high."

A secretary said, pointing to her phone, "That little black thing is driving
me silly. At the other end of the line are people who make impossible
demands and think they are the only people alive."

A middle-aged wife said, "My husband thinks my faith is silly. When I feel
his resistance to Christ, I wonder if I'm wrong and confused. As a result,
I've developed two lives; one with him and one when I'm with my Christian
friends."

An elderly woman said, "My sister thinks she has all the answers about the
faith and tries to convince me of her point of view. I feel pressured to
become her brand of Christian, but I keep thinking if it means being like
her, I don't want it at all. When she calls, I just put the phone on my
shoulder and let her rant on while I do other things. A half-hour later,
she's still on the line blasting away, but I still feel pressure."

A young pastor at a clergy conference said, "I hardly know who I am any
more. There are so many points of view in my congregation, I can't please
them all. Everyone wants to capture me for his camp and get me to shape the
church around his convictions. The pressure makes me want to leave the
ministry."

All of these persons have one thing in common. They are being pressured by
other people. We all, at one time or another, experience people-pressure.
The question is how will it effect our judgment? That is the question Herod
faced. After making an oath to a pretty young girl that she could have up to
half of his kingdom, she surprised him and asked for the head of the
Baptist. Mark 6:26 indicates that the King was thrown into distress, he knew
it was wrong, but because of his oath and his dinner guests, he did not want
to refuse her. He sent the executioner and on a platter was delivered the
head of a holy man.

Brett Blair, www.SermonIllustrations.com, July, 2000. The John Ogilve book
is out of print.