In 1981, two big names in the popular music scene of that time collaborated to write a song that described the stresses of life a lot of people were facing. Under Pressure, written and performed by the band Queen and solo artist David Bowie, became a big hit for the musicians. Its lyrics resonated with generation of people in the early 1980s who were feeling the pressure of economic downturns, employment insecurity and the threat of worldwide nuclear war, and were looking for a love that would sustain them through the pressures they were facing.
Forty-five years on, the sentiments of this song can still connect with modern audiences. A lot of people are in our time and place are under pressure of one kind or another. Many are struggling with financial insecurity and economic uncertainty, relationship breakdowns, feelings of isolation and loneliness, and, here in the Barossa, years of poor seasons and bad market conditions. Globally, we are facing wars and conflicts that seem impossible to resolve. In so many ways, whether that is financially, socially, or relationally, we can all feel under pressure.
The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to be under pressure. As he worked to spread the Gospel and nurture young Christian communities, he experienced extreme pressure in many ways. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Paul wrote about some of the pressures he had experienced in his ministry. He had been whipped five times, beaten with rods three times, pelted with stones, shipwrecked three times, and in danger from Jews and non-Jews alike. Paul had gone without food or water, without clothes and without shelter. Paul knew what it was like to experience the pressure of problems and trials for his faith in Jesus.
The pressures he experienced help us understand what Paul wrote in Romans 5:1-8. When we are under pressure or “run into problems and trials” (v3 NLT), we might look for a way out or for something that’s safer or more comfortable. Paul didn’t. Instead, he wrote to the Christians in Rome that he can “rejoice” in his “problems and trials.” The New International Version translates Paul’s words to say that he “gloried” in the pressures he was experiencing. When Paul was under pressure in his life from all the physical, emotional and spiritual “problems and trials” he faced, he didn’t blame God, look for an easier way out, or have a whinge about what he was going through. Instead, he found joy in his troubles (NCV).
In the verses that follow, Paul explained why he could glory or find joy while he was under the pressure of his troubles and problems. Firstly, Paul wrote that “problems and trials … help us develop endurance” (v3 NLT). The challenges he faced helped Paul to develop “perseverance” (NIV). While the road he was on wasn’t an easy one to travel, the difficulties and challenges he faced along the way helped to develop the stamina he needed to keep on going. This endurance or perseverance then helped Paul develop “strength of character” (v4 NLT). They helped him to grow as a person and to become a better person by challenging him and extending him, probably beyond what he thought he was capable of. This strength of character that developed in him then helped him to find hope. This wasn’t just any hope, but he calls it a “hope that will not lead to disappointment” (v5 NLT). It wasn’t just a wish for a better future. Instead, the hope Paul found was in the love of God for him in Jesus which the Holy Spirit poured into his heart.
Paul could “glory” or rejoice when troubles or hardships pressed in on him because he could see that God was at work in him through them. He didn’t blame God, think that God had abandoned him, or that he’d done something wrong to deserve the problems he was facing. Instead, he trusted God’s love for him in Jesus and saw the problems and trials that were putting him under pressure as God’s way of developing endurance in him, strengthening his character, and giving him a deep and lasting sense of hope.
In the same way, when we are under pressure of any kind, we can also see the hand of God in our circumstances working to develop endurance or perseverance in us, strengthening our character, and giving us hope. Without suffering or difficulties in life, we can miss out on these blessings. If we try to avoid struggles or hardships, we might not develop the endurance we need, the character we can benefit from, or the hope that will sustain us. Paul teaches us that God is at work in our lives through all the troubles, difficulties and hardships that can press in on us to help build our stamina as people, to make us better people, and to help us find hope for when we need it the most. As we grow in perseverance, character and hope, then we can walk alongside others and help them persevere, to develop their character, and to help them find hope when they are under pressure as well.
Paul writes that all of this comes from the love of God who sent Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners (vv6-8). We find this love that the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts through faith in Jesus’ presence with us. He knew the pressure that comes with troubles and hardships in this world. Jesus’ character was developed and strengthened by experiencing the pressure of being tempted by the devil, accused by those who opposed him, and then carrying the sin of the world to the cross. Jesus did everything for us because of his great love for us, even when we didn’t deserve it. As we rely on him and his life-giving love for us, especially when we feel the pressure of this world, we can always remember that Jesus experienced more pressure in his life than we ever will in ours, and he came through it when he rose from the grave. This faith will give us strength when we need it and joy when we face the pressure of the problems and trials of life in this world.
More than four decades after Queen and David Bowie released their song together, we can still hear Under Pressure at different times and in different places in our society. Maybe the lyrics about feeling the pressure of living in this world connects with something in a lot of us as we manage the challenges, trials, difficulties and troubles that we face in this life. When we are under pressure, we can trust that God is with us through Jesus, and that, in his creative power, he is using those circumstances to develop our perseverance and strengthen our character so we can find a deep and enduring hope for this life and the next in the good news of Jesus. As hope grows in us, we can be beacons of hope in the lives of others who are also under pressure.
More to think about or discuss:
- What are some of the pressures people around you are facing? What are some of the pressures you face in your life?
- What do you think of Paul’s words that problems and trials develop endurance, endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our hope?
- As God works in us through the pressures we face, how might we be God’s presence in the lives of others who are experiencing their own pressures in life?
Pastor Eugene Online 
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