1 Samuel 18:14 In everything he (David) did he had great success, because the Lord was with him.
Research findings have proved that intense pressure to perform and meet deadlines lowers performance levels. Performance pressure is appraised as either ‘threat’ or ‘challenge’. Employees with high emotional stability who perceive performance pressure as a ‘challenge’ rather than a ‘threat’, excel. Yerkes-Dodson law is a model of the relationship between stress and task performance. In the “stress chart” the peak level of performance is achieved at an intermediate level of stress. Too much stress fogs the brain, and no stress dumbs the brain.
David was under a paranoid boss who was petrified at the performance of David. When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him (vs 15). David was constantly under scrutiny. Every step of David was watched and monitored. To David, facing the giants and the enemies of Israel was a new challenge and not a threat as his trust was in the Lord. David was given ‘the task impossible’ by his boss, King Saul, yet David was energized with vigor. Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. The task assigned was a trick and a travesty to slay David. David completed his assignment by achieving double the target and brought two hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
When we are stretched at work with difficult tasks, assignments, or projects, we could be discombobulated with ‘performance pressure’. Work is not a breezy cruise. Unexpected squalls and storms are inevitable; however, we need not flail or frown. The secret to success is hidden in the pages of the scriptures.
Three tips to high performance:
- God-Conscious: Be more God-conscious than people conscious. Those who fear the Lord are endowed with divine knowledge. Our excellent performance is also a form of worship to the Lord. When we are careful with our calculation and presentation, we magnify the gifts of God. Fear of the Lord brings prosperity. “Whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:3). God consciousness at the boardroom, courtroom or workroom boosts our performance.
- Word-Conscious: Be Bible/Word conscious while making decisions. Don’t follow the crowd and grouch about the boss or join the tearoom gossip and grumble about the employer. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8). Joshua’s success in the battlefield was attributed to his meditation on the Word. Word consciousness augments our performance.
- Work-Conscious: Be work conscious. Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank (Proverbs 22:29). Take utmost care in completing your task. Stress to impress will distress the brain. Do your best. Skill is amplified when work is meticulously done. Work consciousness magnifies our skillset.
Performance stress is at the lowest when our trust in the Lord is at the highest.
2 Samuel 2:10 David became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach me to keep my eyes and my mind on you to alleviate the work pressure and performance stress. Amen.
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