Responding Like Jesus When Pressure Hits
3 Ways to Stay Grounded in Christ When Emotions Rise
We’ve all been there. The pressure rises, the emotions boil over, and the urge to fire back kicks in. I’ve been in those moments more times than I’d like to admit. It usually starts when I feel boxed in or manipulated in some way. Before I know it, my thoughts get cloudy and my fists start clenching. Deep down, I know I need to respond like Jesus, but that’s easier said than done.
That being said, I also know that situations like this, and the emotional pressure that follows, can be an opportunity for spiritual growth.
Romans 5:3–5 reminds me, “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (ESV).
Knowing this Biblical principle and living it out in the moment are two very different things, aren’t they? Here are three ways to respond like Jesus when tensions rise:
1. Respond Like Jesus Instead of Reacting Emotionally
It usually doesn’t end well when I let my emotions take the wheel. I’ll replay the conversation in my mind, trying to justify what I said or how I acted. But deep down, I know I missed the mark. Jesus taught a different kind of response. Not weakness or passivity, but strength through surrender.
He said, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also… if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Matthew 5:39–41, ESV).
That’s not natural. But it’s the right call.
2. Respond Like Jesus Even When It Feels Unfair
Sometimes the hardest part is when the situation doesn’t feel fair. Maybe someone questioned your motives or criticized your character. Maybe the attack came out of nowhere. In those moments, my instinct is to defend myself; to prove I’m right. (I need to refer back to Step 1.)
But sometimes I miss the mark. Afterward, I feel like a failure. Thankfully, the Apostle Paul gives an encouraging word that I’m a work in progress:
“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” ( Philippians 1:6, ESV)
These trials might sting, but they’re shaping something deeper in me. I’ve witnessed over time that Jesus has transformed them into something lasting. He’s always able and willing to turn our failures into life lessons.
3. Respond Like Jesus Because We’re In This Together
At the end of the day, the Christian life isn’t about perfection. It’s about persistence. It’s about letting the Holy Spirit shape us through pressure and hardship. It’s about linking arms with one another and choosing to respond like Jesus, even when we don’t feel like it.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, ESV)
So when the pressure rises again (and it will), try to pause, breathe, pray, and remember Jesus’ words. Strive to reflect Him more than we want to win the argument or get the last word.
Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts
- Have you been feeling a lot of pressure lately?
- Do you feel like people are out to get you?
- Is there a constant urge to get emotional or retaliate?
