Tension - A Good Thing?

DateLine (9/13/07)

I hate pressure but it seems that I can never escape it. Whether its schedule or responsibility or relationships or life in general I’ve never had the opportunity to live on “easy street.” A few weeks ago I was in the middle of one of my DIY projects which involved using a skil-saw. Since the work was finish work that would be seen by others I was concentrating on making sure that the cut was straight. Now I don’t know if you’re ever tried doing finish work with a skil-saw but it does require a slight amount of skill. And since I don’t do this type of work on a routine basis it took a few cuts before I regained the “touch” required.

One of the tricks that came back to me in the midst of my project was the need for tension. If ones applies just a little bit of downward force on the base of the skil-saw with the other hand it’s easier to keep a straight line and the rate at which the saw slices through the wood can be maintained more consistently. Right in the middle of one of my cuts it dawned on me that life is a lot like making those tricky cuts.

While I detest the pressure that occurs when too much tension is flooding into my life, a little pressure (i.e. tension) is a good thing. For the bodybuilder or health enthusiasts tension is what builds muscle. Tension is the feedback that tells us the undertaking is working.

Got doesn’t promise us a life free of tension. He doesn’t even promise us that we won’t have pressure at times that tempts us to faint and draw back. What He does promise is that there is a purpose to the pressure; it makes us stronger. Want to get stronger? Don’t give up; push back.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4