Hosanna Restoration Church

I awoke in the night and felt the Lord say to me, “Not on you, in you.” As I considered that statement I understood that God wants us to operate from the power source in us and not in response to pressure placed upon us. In other words, the Holy Spirit comes upon us and dwells within us enabling us to be who God has called us to be and do what God has called us to do.

There are times when people give up because they feel that they cannot perform up to the standard of the pressure that is applied. Pastors give up because they have not turned the body they have been called to lead into a mega church. Christians feel like failures because the people they have been trying to reach just do not seem to be getting the message. They feel pressured to perform and in turn try to pressure others or just give up all together.

The rest that the word of God speaks of includes resting from pressure and relaxing in the power that is in us. Once we are free from performance pressure we can flow in the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember, it is Christ in us that is our hope not Christ on us.

If we are so busy following this pressure and that pressure, we may treat the guidance of the Holy Spirit like a distraction rather than receiving it as a direction. He tries to redirect us, but we have made up our mind and will not be deterred.

Look at it this way. If you take a balloon and put air in it, you will see the message on that balloon come to life. The pictures and words on it are easily seen. It is like a Christian operating from the power within. If we take that same balloon now, and pressure it from the outside, what happens? It explodes. This is unfortunately what happens to us when we allow pressures from without to guide us rather than the power from within. Is it any wonder that the devil spends so much time putting pressure on Christians; condemning them for not doing enough or filling them with so many things they must do that they explode under the pressure?

The power of the Spirit within creates a vessel that is prepared to respond to what ever need presents itself. Paul was compelled to preach the gospel; not by the pressure on the outside, but power on the inside.

Pressure only serves to frustrate, while power sets us free. Remember to respond to Christ in you and not pressure on you. Pressure pushes. Power leads.