Pressure of Popularity

Rise and Shine for Jesus

"Pressure of Popularity"

By Pam Iannello (my late mother)

"Mom, could you help me with this?"

"Honey, could you stop off at the bank today?"

"You hadn't called home in so long your father and I thought you'd forgotten about us!"

"Could you pray with me, I'm having a hard time with...."

"If you’re not busy tonight, we'd love to have you over for dinner and some fellowship."

"HI! It's me, wanna talk?"

"About that devotional you need to share....."

"Could you cook and deliver a dinner for the new family?"

"Mom, we're going to be late for piano lessons!"

Does any of this sound familiar to you, ladies? Which of you, in looking ahead at your day, your month, or even the remainder of your year, does not foresee a continually hectic pace? It's very rare that you meet someone who doesn't feel the weight of a busy schedule in their lives… Life is crammed with countless obligations and we are going to need to set some priorities. Sometimes we wish it were possible for us to clone ourselves just to get done all that there is we HAVE to do and even all that there is we WANT to do. Ever feel like that? "Oh, if only there were two of me, then I could…" But all we really need is one of us and God…

Do you think Christ ever felt like we do? He was a busy person too, was He not? What did Jesus do to cope? How did He handle the feelings of being needed and wanted in two or three (or more!) places at once? Kind of makes you feel popular, doesn't it, ladies? Your husband wants you to run some errands for him, your kids need help with school work or just want to play with you, your sister wants (and needs!) to talk on the phone, there is a visitor from church you want to have over for lunch and get acquainted with, a sister in Christ needs counseling, your parents are feeling left out of your life - and you just can't be everywhere!!

Turn with me to Luke chapter 5 and let's look at verse 15 as it talks about Christ at the peak of His popularity...

But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

This verse above pretty much describes life as I was describing it in our opening text. Very often we feel like there are great multitudes that need to hear from us and be looked after, those who desperately need our touch in their lives. And it never fails; they come in great multitudes all at once! What do you do when this happens? Let's continue on with and see what Christ did...

Luke 5:16 (KJV)

And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

Jesus Christ was a popular person, in spite of those that hated him. With popularity, there is also lots of pressure. What was Jesus response to His popularity? The Bible says He withdrew into a place alone and prayed… Oh, how we need to do that when we feel the pressure of "popularity" in our lives as women trying to do it all! We want to do right; we want to serve our husbands and children, we want to serve God and minister to others, we want to spend time with friends and family, yet at times it can feel like an immense amount of pressure that might cause us to burst!

Normally we focus on the public life of Jesus, but today, let's learn from His private life. And in this text we discover that Christ's personal time was filled to the brim with prayer. Ladies, Jesus example is one that we should follow when it comes to handling pressure. There is no need to explode under the demands of the multitudes that need your involvement in their lives. There is no need to give up under the weight of it all. There is no need to waste your private time on worldly forms of escape when we have been given the privilege of tapping into the power of God to cope with the pressure of “popularity" through prayer…

Jonah 2:7 (KJV)

When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

In trying to meet all the responsibilities that are required of you, don't forget to take charge of yourself too! Jesus clearly took responsibility for Himself. The Bible says, "He withdrew Himself." Our Savior didn't wait until someone else noticed the stress on His countenance, till someone else suggested the idea He take some time off. Nor did Jesus wait until He was in the hospital with an anxiety attack! Christ knew within Himself when it was time to withdraw - for a time of prayer, that is! He did not withdraw for a time of self-pity. He did not withdraw for a season of self-indulgence. Jesus did not withdraw for an hour of complaining. He did not withdraw to take a month's worth of anti-depressants coupled with aroma therapy. Certainly He did not withdraw for an occasion to gossip either. No, Christ withdrew to get alone with His only true source of power - the Lord God Almighty! And then He went back into the battle again and faced the multitudes and the pressure of popularity with a commendable attitude.

Psalm 27:13 (KJV)

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Likewise, that is the only way you and I can cope with pressure too, this is the only way we can survive the busy pace of life - through prayer! Praise God that we can look at Jesus’ private life and learn how to conduct our own personal time. Why do we try to "do it all" apart from Christ? We are only hurting ourselves when we live independently of the Lord – we’ll faint for sure! Yes, we can literally harm ourselves physically if we do not withdraw regularly from life’s duties to seek the Lord’s help and wisdom and lay our burdens at His feet. We can even impair ourselves spiritually, for we could become conceited and think that we can "do it all" in our own strength - apart from God! Therefore, it is a wise practice to withdraw ourselves to the end that we maintain a close walk with the Lord and recharge our battery power as Christians…

Luke 5:17 (KJV)

And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Yes, Jesus was busy teaching again! Gathered before Him were Pharisees and doctors present that were come out of every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. Truly, that is no small crowd of people! Ministering to multitudes of individuals filled with special needs and high expectations can be very strenuous and overwhelming, but the Bible says that the power of the Lord was present to heal them all! Why do you think it was present? Power was present in Christ's public life because of what took place in His private life - because He first withdrew Himself to pray! Certainly the Son asked His Father for grace to continue to accomplish all His God-given responsibilities in a glorified manner. Jesus had no intention of quitting. What are your ideas pertaining to future participation in the lives of other people?

Ladies, Jesus public life was just as hectic as yours is today. It consisted of teaching others, healing others with His touch, healing others with His words, being questioned by unbelievers and doubters, sought after for counsel, chased down for companionship... If you have been a faithful, growing Christian for any length of time, you will become known as one who walks with God and knows the Bible. You will be a magnet to the multitudes when you live right. How will you handle this kind of pressure and popularity? Will you bark and snap at everyone in your surmounting stress? Will you just keep up the pace till you die out altogether, or will you wisely and routinely withdraw yourself and go to the Lord in prayer for the power of God to faithfully continue?

2 Samuel 22:33 (KJV)

God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.

None of us knows ahead of time what the Lord has in store for us to do. We don't know that He might want to use us to minister to one or to one hundred today. Would you be ready? Prayer keeps you primed for the opportunities that lie on the horizon. Be prepared and "preprayered"! You may be used to encourage one today, three tomorrow, six on Friday, and then teach a multitude on Sunday. Could you handle that, coupled with all the other duties you have to do? Only prayer makes it feasible. Hopefully you won't ever have to turn to that lost or needy soul the Lord has sent your way and say, "Sorry, I'm too drained to deal with you today." Withdraw for prayer - especially in these last days when times are going to get more strenuous. As an increasing number of Christians fall out of the race, the Lord is going to have to spread a bigger load over a smaller percentage of workers - will you be one He can rely upon? Oh, how we will need to stay on our knees to handle all our heavenly assignments!

In summary, let us be an example to others of what to do when the load gets heavy, of how to handle the pressure. There are young wives and mothers who need to know how to handle the boundless needs of their little ones as well as their husband’s daily requirements. These young gals need to learn from older, experienced women how to withdraw privately with the Lord for the power to endure. Will you show them with your life and your lips how to cope? In addition, our children need to see us handling the pressure of "popularity" too. They need to see how you juggle it all AND stay happy! Ladies, children don't need parents that paint them a picture of adult Christianity as one of nothing but stress and anxiety and depression. Show them that GROWING UP means learning how to handle the burdens and the weights in life by casting all your care upon the Lord and then willingly take on a multitude of responsibility filled with power! It is quite possible to serve the Lord with gladness…

Yes, we must all follow Christ's example of His private life of prayer. He was wise to withdraw and ask the help of His great and mighty Father, therefore Jesus was able to freely cope with whatever His Father had for Him each and every day. No matter how much Jesus was needed, no matter how many places His presence was requested, no matter how many people pressed Him, Jesus endured the pressure of being popular, of facing the multitudes with vigor because He stayed dependent upon the Lord. One thing you’ll notice about Christ’s life – He isn’t defiled by the leprosy He encounters, the leprosy is cured by His touch… Likewise, what a shame it would be if we were made worse for helping people rather than them being made better by our help!

Is it time for you to withdraw, dear lady? Have you grown to resent the increase in your responsibilities? Do you constantly snap and moan and groan under the weight of being needed at home and in church? Do your prayer habits need some fine-tuning? Have you been waiting too long to get apart and pray? You know within yourself when you need to - don't put off ministering to your own disposition!

"Mom, could you help me with this?"

"Honey, could you stop off at the bank today?"

"You hadn't called home in so long your father and I thought you'd forgotten about us!"

"Could you pray with me, I'm having a hard time with...."

"If you’re not busy tonight, we'd like to have you over for dinner and fellowship."

"HI! It's me, wanna talk?"

"About that devotional you need to prepare....."

"Could you cook and deliver a dinner for the new family?"

"Mom, we're going to be late for piano lessons!"

~~~

"Dear Father, I need to get alone and talk with you.... Thank you for the privilege and power of prayer! Please help me with all you have for me to do today; I can't cope without your strength, nor do I want to. Fill me now Lord with wisdom and power that I might glorify your name and meet these many needs that lie before me through your grace. Thank you for the opportunities you give me to serve others and learn how GREAT Thou art!"

God Bless,

Pam

Isaiah 60:1&2

Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello

Revised 2006