This article appears in the Spring 2024 issue of the FCA Donor Publication. The FCA publication is a gift from our FCA staff to all donors giving $50 or more annually. For more information about giving, visit here.

Ready: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”–John 8:32

Set: The bright lights. The roar of the crowd. The thrill of competing on the highest stage with the greatest stakes. It’s every athlete’s dream, right?

Well, maybe not. Because what if you weren’t made for pressure?

It’s true that few things feel better than balling out on the big stage, but what about the time spent outside actual games—going to practice, being at home, attending school, hanging out with friends? If we are facing pressure in all those situations, we are headed down a path of failure. We will crack. It’s only a matter of time.

Jesus may never have owned a cellphone or played bigtime sports, but He certainly faced pressure and He showed us how we can walk through it. To better understand and deal with the daily pressures of life, we need to turn to the truth God’s Word. There, we’ll see how Jesus lived so we can live accordingly.

Get Quiet
Find time to step away from the noise that surrounds you every day. Jesus did. Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
"Put the phone down. Take the headphones off. Set your gear aside and just spend time away from the noise and the pressures around you."
--Braden Beck
What does finding quiet time look like for you? Maybe this means getting up 15 minutes earlier in the morning to read Scripture, pray and have a few moments to yourself. Or maybe it means staying late after practice to sit on the field and gather your thoughts. The simple act of stepping back and quieting our minds allows space for God to speak into our lives.

Put the phone down. Take the headphones off. Set your gear aside and just spend time away from the noise and the pressures around you. This won’t solve your problems, but it might just give you a better perspective for how to handle them when you return.

Talk with God
We usually fill our boredom with games, phones or entertainment. What if instead we satisfied our boredom by speaking with God? He is a real and relational being who sent His Son to die on the cross and rise again so we could experience true community with Him. God deeply cares about the things in your life and the pressures you are facing, and He wants to be part of them.

Lean on Others
You can’t spend all your time alone. You need to spend time around people who are also pursuing Jesus. Time in silence is important, and as noted earlier, Jesus often pulled away from the crowds to spend time with God. But He also spent much time with His closest friends while eating, traveling, ministering to others and just doing life together.

As believers, we need to have a loving community around us. How different would your life look if your teammates were constantly encouraging each other instead of talking down to one another? Surround yourself with believers who are running after Jesus. This will help you stand tall when the pressures of this world close in around you.
 
Go:
-What is distracting you the most right now? What can you do to replace the distraction with Jesus instead?
-How can you find time to be quiet before the Lord in your days?
-If you don’t have a group of people to connect with, take a step to find them. Call a local church about small groups, or see if there’s an FCA Huddle near you.

Workout: John 6:15, John 13:1, John 17:23

Overtime:
“Father, there is so much in this world that is distracting and wants to pull me away from You. Help me to stand in the truth of what Jesus did on the cross for me, and let that motivate me to stay close to You. Help me to learn what it means to talk with You, and help me to find others who will walk with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.”


-FCA-