Pressure, Power, Pain and Promise

“There's a relationship between your pressure & your power, your pain & your promise. If you get rid of one you're gonna mess up the other.” T.D. Jakes 

   Two days ago I posted this quotation by T.D. Jakes on my Facebook wall. To me, I understood the statement right away. A day later, I received a response asking me to elaborate on it. Here it is, upon request:

                                                                              Pressure & Power

    Imagine that there is a bully that consistently tries to drown you in water but doesn't fully accomplish it. The submersion stretches your lung capacity. One day you see a car plunging into a lake. You immediately jump into the lake and save the mother and children in the car, realizing that the pressure the bully forced upon you actually gave you the power to save that family.

    The word for "pressure" in the Greek is thlipsis. It means "to constrict or rub together, a narrow place that hems someone in." It is also the same term used for "tribulation," an internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined, restricted, and without options.

    The word for "power" in the Greek is dunamis. It means "force, might, and efficacy." It is where we get the word "dynamite" from. In essence, pressure and power work together. Pressure, given the right context, may provide you with the power necessary to overcome any obstacle your way.

                                                                               Pain & Promise

    We are all familiar with the saying, "no pain no gain." Without the pain of working out regularly, I will not receive the promise of a healthy, glorious body.  Without the pain of working in groups with people, daily rigorous study and application, I will not receive the promise of a graduate degree in business.  Without the pain of disciplining myself with healthy financial habits, I will not receive the promise of an abundant financial future that is mine for the taking. 

   Pressure, power, pain and promise. They all work together, and they can all work for us, if we know how to handle them properly. Let us not succumb to pressure; let us overcome it. Let us not be overpowered; let us be filled with power. Let us not give into pain; let us fight through the pain. And let us not squander the promise; let us pursue the promise! Life is too short to live defeated, depressed, disengaged and disillusioned. I, for one, will take the pressure.