Back in Fonthill, at the last house that I and my family lived in we had this ongoing problem with the kitchen sink. It would not stop leaking out of the pipes below, no matter how many plumbers or pieces of Teflon tape or tightening of the joints it had. Eventually we spotted the problem. Along the pipe was a tiny pinhole, and whenever the water was turned on, water would shoot out of this tiny pinhole, flood the cupboard and leak out onto the kitchen floor. It is amazing how a little leak can cause such a big problem. How true this is of life itself. When the pressure is on, things tend to squeeze out of the pinholes in your life. Those little areas that are left unattended will be brought to your attention when the pressure builds up. It is in these moments that we reveal who we truly are.

How true this was for Job who eventually revealed his objections to the way God was running the world. Job’s situation forced him to reveal what he truly thinks of God’s sovereignty and justice. A more negative example would be the Israelites who were just coming out of slavery. Every time things got a little tough in the desert complaints would fly left and right.

The best example of how to deal with pressure can be found in Gethsemane. It was there that Jesus was under some intense pressure to quit his ministry. He prayed over and over again that his father would not have him go to the cross. But Jesus obediently went.

We have a choice about how to deal with pressure. We can complain bitterly, or we can do the right thing in humility and obedience. But that choice is largely made beforehand. The best way to handle pressure beforehand is by working on our character and integrity in preparation for any tough times that may come our way. When the pressure is on, our true character is squeezed out; who you really are will be forced out from the shadows and into the light.

While you are here at EBC, work on your character. Prepare yourself to deal with the world that you will go into after graduation, because the world outside of the EBC bubble will be harsher than the world inside of it.

Jesse Goulet