When you visit a doctor’s office, they usually begin by checking your blood pressure. They wrap that cuff around your upper arm, and it gradually inflates until it grips you tightly. Sometimes it compresses so tightly it can hurt a little bit. Or a lot.
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Ever wonder why it is necessary to squeeze that hard? It’s because, in order to measure the force of your heart, the device must completely stop the blood flow through your brachial artery, the main street for the delivery of blood down your arm. It’s a test to determine how well your circulation will respond when the pressure is released.
The reading you get is a snapshot. Blood pressure is constantly changing, up and down, depending on what happens to be going on in your life. Stress, eating habits and physical activity will cause changes. If you take your blood pressure multiple times a day, you will likely get different results each time. The key is, how much different? The goal is to stay within a safe range.
Now and then, God may choose to test your Christian blood pressure. He may bring about circumstances that “squeeze” you out of your comfort zone and cause you pain and concern. It could be something that stops your life, as you know it, temporarily. He wants to see how you react going forward.
Adversity and faith
Just as that cuff tests the strength of your heart, adversity reveals the degree of your faith.
We’re all human. Just as your blood pressure vacillates up and down, so our Christian walk does as well. We all go through difficult times when the quality of our divine trust can waver.
Surely God doesn’t expect us to be perfect! But just as surely, He expects us to remain within a safe range of behavior and attitude.
In the Bible, David wondered why Saul wanted to kill him, despite his loyal service to the king. In Psalm 17 David wrote, “Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed.”
Be ready for the squeezes of life. Prayer and Bible study will always help you stay in the safe range.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
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