Pressed is a word that is thrown around a lot in our society. “Cold-Pressed” in particular garners a more expensive price tag. Cold-pressed juices and oils retain more of their nutrients and aromas. Whereas, some of these benefits are lost when exposed to heat. Imagine, if we could choose the process by which God gets our gifts out of us. What method would we choose? Would we choose to be pressed?

In order to get olive oil or grape juice, one has to cultivate the vine or tree. We have to be planted in good soil, then we have to grow. Planting is very similar to the burial process. We are covered and left in dark places to grow. Most of us don’t want to be covered, let alone left in a dark place alone under the guise of growth.

Then, after all that we are expected to produce fruit. Not just any fruit, but fruit after our own kind, and good fruit. Then, our good fruit is plucked. Our fruit is taken for us to benefit others. If that isn’t enough, our fruit has to undergo a process of being pressed.

The real treasure of the fruit is on the inside. God is always calling what’s on the inside. How does God get those things he put in us out? Pressure. Uncomfortable situations. People. Tragedy. Loss. Setbacks. Unexpected Encounters. Detours. Divorce. Change. Basically, all the things we try to avoid. We don’t want to be planted. Growth comes with pain. It hurts to bear fruit and though pressure produces, it seems like more than we can bear. Oh, but the end result justifies the process. The juice. The oil. The gift. The lesson. The blessing.