Peer Pressure

 

At the climax of a graduating commencement ceremony in a certain Bible Institute in India, the entire graduation class rises to commit themselves to the Lord’s work with these words: “Today, I stand as a dead man. I declare that in Jesus Crist, I am saved by His blood, and thus I am dead to sin, and no longer dead in my sin. Today, I stand and declare that I surrender my will and my life to His will and His life. I shall go where He sends me, without asking questions. I shall go to whomever He sends me, without seeking fame. I shall preach to everyone, even if they hate me. I am an ambassador of the Cross and must deliver the message. I shall pour my life out to reach my family, my friends, my neighbors, and my city. I embrace the shame of the Cross, and I fear nothing but God. I welcome suffering, shame, persecution, beatings, imprisonment and death, but I will not be silenced. If I am killed, I pray that my blood should be a harvest for souls. This is my city. I dare not do less.” Following graduation, each student is given three items. 1. A new Bible. 2. A new Bicycle. 3. A one-way train ticket to their field of service. There is no Plan B, and neither should any Christian have such.

When the phrase “Peer Pressure” is mentioned, our minds often jump to scenes in a school yard where a group of bullies are tempting young children to try drugs for the first time. Unfortunately, peer pressure is still prominent in college and even in the professional world. People, whether explicitly or implicitly, always seem to influence the decisions we make – for good or ill.

[Genesis 6:8] “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” This favor that Noah found in God’s eyes made a big change on the earth and the human race. About 5000 years ago, Noah and his family lived in the midst of an estimated one billion evil, violent, corrupt people. Mothers – think of hard it would be to raise a family. Mrs. Noah evidently supported her husband as he preached to those evil neighbors. The ark he was building was as long as one-and-a-half football fields and one-hundred miles from the nearest large body of water. Mothers – imagine the abuse and laughter that this family endured. But even in this dark time of human history, Mrs. Noah’s sons found wives. Give credit to this family for having the patience to endure and strived to teach God’s will for 100-years. Noah’s primitive tools made work very slow. To tell him to “hurry-up” would have been very foolish. Do you suppose Mrs. Noah heard her children say, “Nobody else does this. Why do we have to be different?” and “Is daddy nearly finished?” Noah and his wife set the example for all fathers and mothers. They accomplished their greatest responsibility by seeing that their family was saved from the impending disaster God warned about.

Peter most certainly understood this influence on decisions of integrity and belief when he wrote 1 Peter to the Christians scattered about Asia Minor. While the direct cause of suffering is still debated it seems most likely the Christians Peter was addressing were suffering from social pressures, or “peer pressure”. They were being “persecuted” because they didn’t participate in the same things as other Roman citizens or worship the pantheon of gods in Roman religion. (1 Peter 4:1-6) “…they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.”

So, whether in your workplace, school, church, family, or vacation – remember that we must not succumb to peer pressure that leads us away from Christ. For Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Amen!!