One of the tactics of the devil to bring down God’s people is to orchestrate situations that will put them under pressure, and then he attacks while they are vulnerable. He does this because he knows that operating under pressure can result in costly mistakes. In 1 Timothy 5:22, we can identify some dangers of operating under pressure. One of these is that operating under pressure can make a person an accomplice to an evil deed. For instance, in the name of charitable acts, you may be pressurised to unknowingly harbour stolen goods. As a pastor, the devil can quote scriptures to you out of context and thereby pressurise and intimidate you into officiating the marriage of a divorcee to another person, thereby causing you to partake in another man’s sin. Another danger of operating under pressure is that the scars resulting from errors committed while acting unwisely often leave indelible marks on the victim’s life.

King Saul is a classical example of someone who let himself fall into the trap of operating under pressure. As the first king of Israel, he was more concerned about the opinion of people than God’s opinion of him. Contrary to the instructions God gave him concerning the battle against the Amalekites, he spared not only the king but also the fatted cows and sheep. He took the spoils of a battle he did not actually fight. Some ministers of God have also fallen into this trap today. After they have been used by God to perform special miracles, they run after financial gratification like Gehazi did (2nd Kings 5:20-27).

Have your parents or society placed you under pressure to marry? Be very careful so that you don’t regret your actions later. I have this word for someone today: God will make everything beautiful for you in His own time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). At God’s own appointed time, that partner will emerge from the throne of grace and you will have a home comparable to heaven on earth. Is it employment that you seek and the personnel manager demands that you go out with him before you can get the job? Say NO to such advances! Don’t let the pressure of unemployment drag you into prostitution or drug trafficking. Are your parents-in-law saying you should come over to the village to offer sacrifice to ancestral spirits so that you can have your baby? You must not cave into such pressures. Let the Bible be your guide. Refuse to find any alternative to Jehovah El-Shaddai, May the word of God remain a lamp to your feet and a light to your path in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.