A quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln says, "If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first four hours sharpening the axe." Yet we live in a time when everyone seems to be more concerned with how quickly they can cut down their own tree than with whether their axe is sharp enough to get the job done. This reflects the intense pressure to perform that many of us face every day. When I speak of the pressure to perform, I am not referring only to workplace demands, but to the pressure we experience in our personal lives to produce visible results. Pressure can be a good thing when it is properly managed. It can motivate us to grow, improve, and reach our goals. However, when left unchecked, it can become destructive. One of the surest ways to manage the pressure to perform is by refusing to let the success of others become a source of unhealthy pressure in your own life. If you allow that to happen, you do yourself a great disservice. It is only natural to...
...enriching the faith of the saints