We've all experienced those overwhelming moments when stress makes us want to escape and leave everything behind. Stress can stem from various sources—loss, heartbreak, peer pressure, or trust issues. However, one of the most common culprits is ‘Performance Pressure.’
Performance pressure isn’t limited to just work; it can come from the expectations of those around us or the society we live in. Society often stereotypes us, placing us in boxes with rigid expectations. Beauty standards demand perfection, insisting that we must have a zero-size waist or six-pack abs. These pressures place us on a relentless treadmill of perfectionism.
Whether it’s your boss, colleagues, parents, siblings, cousins, partner, or even yourself, there’s often an expectation to excel in everything. Even when we make progress, it’s often viewed as flawed, leading to a never-ending cycle of dissatisfaction. This constant pressure leaves us with tears, grief, suffering, and heartache.
These emotional burdens often manifest in our bodies as health problems like depression, arthritis, diabetes, and high blood pressure. But there is one person who doesn’t bring stress or health issues—Christ Jesus.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
As Christians, we often hear this verse at funerals, but Christ invites us to rest in Him even as we live our daily lives. His intention is not for us to toil endlessly; He wants us to find rest in His greatness while He fights our battles. He calls us to rest in His Spirit of Grace.
God, the Father, doesn’t measure your worth by worldly standards. He sees your value through the lens of Christ. He’s also the closest friend you could ever have, one who invites you to share your deepest emotions without fear of judgment. He won’t get annoyed or upset like people might; instead, He wants you to express yourself to Him fully.
Often, the stress we carry is because we hold on to things we should release—emotions, past hurts, or the wrongs done to us. We must remember that we weren't created to bear these burdens on our own. God is there to carry them for us, and only He can bring complete healing, both inside and out.
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