Flourish: Living a Fruitful LifeSample

DAY 3 / The Roller – Pressed but Not Crushed

Let’s be honest. Sometimes biblical truths can be frustrating. Like when you’re going through a tough season and a well-meaning friend drops James 1:2-3 NIV: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” This verse may not feel so joy inducing at those times, but despite our initial reaction, it is true…right?

After having allowed their fields to fallow (rest) and then ploughing the ground to break up any hardened soil, farmers will then roll the ground. Using giant rollers, they firm the seedbed and smooth out clumps of soil into more manageable pieces. This process improves seed-to-soil contact, giving seeds better access to nutrients and moisture; reduces the risk of damage from debris, small stones, and other objects that might interfere with planting or harvesting by pushing them further away; and diminishes weed growth.

Have you ever felt like the pressures of life were rolling over you? Maybe what you’re going through feels like more than you can bear. Even Jesus, as He faced the realities of what His earthly purpose would entail, said in Luke 12:50 NIV, “I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.”

Sometimes we feel pressured due to the consequences of our mistakes, and sometimes we are burdened by the weight of doing the right thing, fulfilling His purposes, and the opposition that can bring. Paul felt this weight as well, as he describes in 2 Corinthians 4:8 NIV, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair”.

Pressure has a way of revealing what’s beneath the surface. When you face trials, are you pressed into deeper trust or deeper fear? Either way, how we respond to the pressures we face determines whether we deepen or derail. Press into God and allow Him to use what you’re facing to weed out fear and strengthen your connection with Him, the source of all you need.

Of course, James was right. He goes on to say in James 1:4 NIV, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” When we persevere through difficult circumstances, we develop resilience and wisdom that could not have come any other way. Flourishing often comes not despite pressure but because of it.

Reflection:

What pressure are you facing right now? How might God be using this to deepen your connection with Him and strengthen your resolve?