Strategy 8: Your Pressures

Down by 2, 15 seconds left in the game. The leading team is about to inbound. “Get ready to press,” the coach yells. The trailing team ups the pressure and enters a full court press defense. The player trying to inbound is running the base line. The pressure is too much, no one is open, he can’t inbound the ball. “Time out,” the player yells. Everyone exhales. A breather, a break in the action to rest, strategize, come up with a play and determine whose even going back in the game. Y’all that’s what strategy 8 is, a time out.

In strategy 8, Priscilla basically yelled “Time out” at me. She gave me permission to open the release valve and let off some steam. She encouraged me to rest, reevaluate, and release. Rest, sit down, and catch my breath. Reevaluate, question if all of this should be on my plate. Release, let go of the things that I was never meant to carry. She reminded me that we were never designed to be under that much pressure. We were never intended to be in bondage. We were never supposed to get burned out.

So, let’s take some time to think about the yoke we carry. Is it heavy, hard to carry and weighing you down? Or is it light, airy, and easy? We know which it is supposed to be, but which actually is it? How are we going to throw off that heavy, burdensome yoke? I am so glad you asked.

1. Say NO!!!! Say it with me. No. We are going to have to learn this word and learn when to use it. God did not design us to do everything and be everywhere, that is his job. We have to get in our lane and learn to say “no” when things try to make us merge into the other lane or even worse on coming traffic.
2. Rest. Sabbath. Now, this is not going to be easy if you haven’t done it before. You are going to have to take baby steps. Think of sabbath as a weekly reminder of who is really in control. With God in control you can get more done in 1 day than you did all last month on your own. Probably all last year, because he is that good. But the enemy doesn’t want us to rest in God’s promises. Or realize that if God is for us then who can be against us. The enemy wants us running in circles no less, getting absolutely nowhere. Overworked, overwhelmed, and over extended with nothing to really show for it.
3. Pray. We are going to pray our way to it. We are going to follow Priscilla’s instructions and check all the places she told us to check. We are going to examine our lives for idols again, overhaul our calendar to create some margin, and find the essence of Philippians 4:11, contentment.

So let’s get going.

1. Read the chapter. Strategy 8.
2. Pray that God reveals to you what rest and contentment look like for you. Pray that you learn when and how to say no without shame and guilt. Pray that you can keep the sabbath and what God wants you to do on that day.
3. Do some research. Search for some bible verses to add to the one’s Priscilla gave us in the book. Search for bible verses that specifically speak to sabbath, contentment, and rest.
4. Start crafting your prayer strategy. Get specific. Ask for rest, margin, contentment, peace and the easy yoke.
5. Pray, fervently. Pray it to begin your sabbath to orient yourself and remember your why. Pray it when need to find more margin. Pray it when you start to feel overwhelmed
6. Last type it up and print it to hide in the places where you are prone to busyness. Put it in your planner, your car, or your work desk. Use it as a reminder that you rely on God’s help, but he doesn’t rely on yours.