Written by: Karl Camacho
Without a doubt, life is full of struggle, stress, pressure and suffering. Maybe we even feel like life itself is crushing us, and that God is nowhere to be found. To cope, some of us might dwell on it, talk to a counselor about it or try to resolve it by exercising more, doing hobbies, eliminating stressors or maintaining a good circle of friends.
However, what if instead of leaning away from the pressure, we leaned into it? What if God is present in the crushing of life, not the other way around?
Scripture describes something called “anointing.” When people were dedicated to serve God in a special capacity, a priest or a prophet would anoint them on the forehead with pure olive oil. This was understood as a monumental point in time, when a person became separated for special use by God, yet Scripture begs us to grasp something even deeper.
The process of making this oil is crucial to comprehend. First, the olives were thrown, seed and all, into a press to create a paste. That paste was then placed into a woven basket or fabric sacks and crushed with rocks to extract the oil. But, what is so important about it?
Well, to anoint someone with this oil was to fundamentally set them up to undergo the same process as the olive. That person was to be separated, squeezed, refined, purified, pressed and crushed into fine, high-quality oil that could be used by God for a special purpose. It was to call upon them a special type of “divine crushing,” in order for holy oil to be pressed out of them.
David was anointed by Samuel (1 Samuel 16:13), and later became one of Israel’s greatest kings and was even part of Jesus’ bloodline. But first, he was crushed. He didn’t become king until a long time after his anointing, and during that time, his life was in danger. He had to live in hiding, and he had to face magnanimous challenges. He was pressed. He was crushed. But that is the cost of anointing.
In 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Paul says, “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” We all have been anointed. This means we all are in line to enter the olive press. Some of us might even be in it right now. But, as we go through it, or as we wait in line, we can be glad, for the crushing isn’t in vain.
God is producing a pure oil in our hearts. God is molding and pressing us, extracting the pure contents of our characters that are priceless for His purpose. God has appointed each of us to contribute to His mission and kingdom. Each of us has a crucial part to play in the story of God saving humanity.
You have characteristics in you that are so precious and valuable to God. He wants to refine you so that not only will you become a better person through the process, but you will also be prepared for the special role that God has just for you.
Maybe you feel overwhelmed with what’s going on in your life, as if you’re being tried and tested. Or maybe you’re simply burnt out and trying to figure out who you really are. Either way, ask God to open your eyes to His plan. God wants to use the big rocks in your life to squeeze out the pure oil that’s in you. The pressure can only push out what is already in you. The power is in the divine crushing.