In the Spring, my son plays soccer on a coed team, and as I sit back every Saturday morning and watch them play, I often hear other parents talking about the pressure coming from our coach onto his daughter to make the right move at just the right time. I hear lots of “poor girl”, and “a little girl can only take so much.” These parents are looking at this situation one-sided, with a narrow perspective. You know, I believe if we say…if we speak it out that she will eventually break and just give up, she will begin to see breaking as the only option and will eventually quit.

But if we begin to say that from all this pressure will come a beautiful well-developed soccer player, then do you know what she will begin to see? She will know that even after all of the pain, sweat, and tears that beauty will follow. She will flourish and thrive as a soccer player! So even as we sit on the sidelines cheering our little ones on, we should watch what we speak. Even when we don’t think the coach or his daughter can hear, other ears do and those words echo in the minds and out of the mouths of others.

Want to make pressure lose its sting? Speak about the beauty that comes from pressure. Growth, character, strength, humility, patience…All of these come from pressure! If the kids we minister to knew what beauty pressure brings, I don’t think they’d be so afraid of it and crack when it does come. I honestly believe they would begin to embrace it and let it take its course. There would be less quitting and more growing. Less fear and more acceptance. Then we can truly say, pressure has lost its sting!!

How has pressure pushed you to become a better you? Comment below!

Ashley Fordinal is the Children’s Church volunteer at Family Life Church in Sulphur Springs, TX.