4 Signs of Panicking Under Pressure

(When King Saul is under pressure, he exhibits all these signs of panic in 1 Samuel 13:11-12.)

1. You Blame Others. Beware when you blame others for failing you in time of need.
2. You Imagine the Worst. Beware when you evaluate a situation and see only the worst outcome. 
3. You Manipulate God. Beware when you think if you say the right things the right way, then God will do right by you.
4. You Refuse Responsibility. Beware when you think the only option you have is to disobey God.

Under Pressure

Martha Major and her family were eating at a restaurant, when suddenly she remembered the eggs.

"I left the eggs on the stove and the burner's still on!"

The eggs had been cooking for two hours by then.

The Majors rushed home to find the burner off, and the pan empty. Exploded eggs plastered the ceiling and walls.

There was a note from their oldest son, who’d left for work. “Mom, I turned the burner off, your eggs looked done.”

Like eggs, when pressure gets to us and we explode in panic, the results aren’t easily put back together.

Thoughtful Cabbie

I got into a cab in Asia. The driver handed me a bottle of water. The label had a picture of a lovely spring. The cap wasn’t sealed when I unscrewed it.

The water looked clear, smelled fine, and thirst tempted me to taste it. Then I looked closely and saw 1/4 inch of sediment at the bottom. Thanking the driver, I handed the bottle back, so he could give it to the next customer.

How can you trust something, if you don’t know the origin? Promises, news stories or truth claims are only as good as their source.