Grapes are crushed to produce wine. Olives are pressed to release oil. Seeds grow in the darkness. Pressure produces results.

You’re in good company when you feel crushed, pressed or feel darkness surrounding you. It means tremendous growth is about to take place, if you choose it.

In the Garden of the Olive Press (Gethsemane), Jesus was pressed by the darkness of His enemy crushing Him to the point of sweating blood.

But for “the joy set before Him” He hung on a cross, and fought against the voices of shame and defeatism. He saw this joy before the crushing, pressing, and darkness.

He knew He would sit at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 12:2). So, He chose to focus on the result of the pressure, not the pressure itself.

Yet, when we face pressure, we often want to focus on the pressure. This focus leads us to run away from it either physically (“I’m out of here!” thinking we are permanently leaving the pressure behind – wrong!), emotionally (“Just take me home already!”), mentally (follow where the wrong voices take us) and/or spiritually (“Just leave me alone, Lord. I’ve had enough already.”).

The difference between us and Jesus? Our focus under pressure. Jesus had learned throughout His life to talk with His Father about everything. No matter what He was facing, even the head noise in the Garden or the trash talking while on the cross, Jesus focused on the One who would get Him victoriously through the pressure – the Father.

Stay focused on the Author and Perfecter of your faith, Jesus. He guarantees victory if we choose to focus on Him and the truths He gives us. Victory tastes all the sweeter when it comes after victory releases the pressure.