“Press In”
By Susan Klein
“As long as it is day, we must do
the work of Him who sent Me.
Night is coming, when no one can work.”
John 9:4 (NIV)
How many people
still iron clothes today? It’s a tedious task, one that I don’t enjoy at all.
That’s why we have dry cleaners! But nothing beats putting on a freshly-pressed
garment. The end result is definitely worth the drudgery of the task.
“Pressing” is a term
used in Scripture with a similar meaning. To “press” is to apply pressure or
push firmly, like ironing. In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul speaks of
“pressing on toward the goal.” This is our spiritual striving toward our completeness
in Christ. He is encouraging us to “press on,” moving forward through the
difficulties of life toward our future with Jesus. It’s strenuous, even
wearisome, but the end result will be priceless!
I’ve also heard preaching
on the concept of “pressing in,” specifically in regards to our trials. Most of
us have been taught that God does mighty work in the trial, and that we shouldn’t be in a hurry to escape it. We
need to “press into” the trial, move toward the heat, gleaning valuable insights
while allowing God’s refining process to draw us closer to Him.
Recently, someone that
I greatly admire challenged me with this concept in a new way. We were
conversing about relationships, and how best to respond to a particularly
difficult one. She shared that when she finds herself in a relationship where
there is friction or conflict, she knows it’s time to “press into” that
relationship, to focus more time and effort on the person and deliberately move
closer toward them. I have to confess, this is not usually my first response
when someone rubs me the wrong way.
I’ve never thought
of myself as someone who flees from difficult relationships, but I don’t always
“press into” them either. Oh, I respond lovingly enough toward the person when
I see them, but I don’t go out of my way to pursue that relationship. It’s much
easier to avoid additional friction, especially if that individual is not a family
member or close friend.
But what if we
pressed into them instead? What if we deliberately chose to invest as much time
in that difficult person as we would in someone whose company we enjoy? What if
we chose the more arduous task of ironing out the wrinkles in the relationship?
What if we showed love, even if the relationship required tough love? Might the
end result be something beautiful?!
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Who do you need to “press into”?
2. What
might that tangibly look like for you?
FURTHER
READING:
Susan is married to Mark, and
has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing, and
tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of the Peace Team at
Oakwood and sometimes co-leads a Wednesday Night Community small group.
