The Pressure Of Time - Part 1

I don't think anything pressurizes us like time. Many motivational speakers, though for an understandable reason, are always increasing the pressure on all of us. And it is not just motivational speakers, the whole society adds to the pressure starting with our parents. As a single girl nearing or becoming above 30 comes home and hears, 'is there anyone'¦' from her parents, her heart begins to pant and she would wish she could hold the hand of the clock until she can say 'yes, he is coming to see you people next month'. From then, every birthday celebration becomes a threat to her life.

The pressure is real for both men and women. I remember how I felt after my NYSC program. I stayed at home for about two weeks, but every day of those two weeks reminded me that time is running and the needed to get a job as soon as possible. I remember calling a coursemate staying in Lagos then and asking him to please inform me if he sees an opening. He gave me a response that made me regret ever calling him. 'Christian, let me be honest to you, none of these professional companies will employ you. Once you're more than 25, they will not even consider you again. The only chance you have is having an uncle that owns a company' he told me. Alas, I had no uncle that owned a company.

In secondary school, they told us how we were wasting our life sleeping for 8 hours a day. They did the math and informed us how many years will be wasted on sleep if we continue to sleep that way. Though I wasn't the highest sleeper among my peers, I happened to shut my mind against those maths and refused to even think about it. It was not consistent with my approach to life then because I believed life is not governed by such mathematics.

Yes, such pressure most times is not worth it. Life does not work that way. It is totally inconsistent with the teachings of faith. And anything that is not consistent with our walk of faith is not healthy for us. In 2018, I was wondering how to really achieve my goals and I was praying about it. During the course of the prayers, I was listening to a preacher and he said'¦ 'They may be counting from 1 to 10, if you're still in number 2, don't worry about it, maintain your faithfulness, you will be amazed how you suddenly jumped from 2 to 15.' That blessed me greatly.

I propose two important ways to deal with the pressure of time. I will discuss the first in this article, and the second in part 2. The first is to acknowledge that God's ways are higher than our ways. The bible says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.' (Isaiah 55:9). It is hard to see how things will eventually turn out right but that is not hard for God. He knows the end from the beginning. God told Abraham that he will give him a child. Abraham believed it but then the pressure of time. He and his wife were getting older and older. It was becoming very difficult to continue to trust the promise and they decided to take a shortcut.

They later regretted their impatient approach, as God fulfills His promise to them despite their old age. My friend who felt like he was younger and within the age of employment was still at home when I got a job. Of Course, it was not through the means that he limited his mind to. God is never limited by our limited minds. He is never limited by human arithmetic and formulas. He has one thousand and one ways to make things happen. Once, you're convinced you're doing the right thing and walking faithfully with him, enjoy his peace and do yourself good to stop observing lying vanities. For 'They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy' (Jonah 2:8).

There is one interesting story in the bible on the pressure of time. Saul and his soldiers were about to engage another nation in war. As custom demands, they waited for Prophet Samuel for seven days and Samuel didn't show up. The soldiers were getting impatient, and Saul feared their enemies were approaching them. So he did things his own way without following the standard procedures laid out to them by God. Samuel arrived immediately Saul finished offering the sacrifice and responded in a very tearful way, 'You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end..' ( 1 Samuel 13:13-14).

Who told you, there is no hope for marriage after a certain age. Who made the rules? When Mary said, 'How can this be seeing I know no man; God did something that has never happened before proving that he is not a slave of our formulas and sciences.

If you're waiting for God for anything, I have good news for you: 'It is always worth it'. Learn to stop looking at the clock every now and then, and focus your attention on the things he wants you to be doing now. Let the peace of God that passes human understanding rule your heart.
'..those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.' (Isaiah 40:31).