Peer Pressure

I spent some time on this reason to not believe in my previous blog. A primary reason for putting off a decision to follow Christ is concern about what our friends or family will think of us.  I discussed that you need to figure out if it's worth it to you to follow Christ; to "count the cost." In this blog I want to spend a little time looking at this from a different angle, namely taking the courage to break free of the snare which is peer pressure.

Peer pressure is a powerful force. From the schoolyard to the workplace, from overbearing parents to manipulative siblings, we've all experienced coercion in it's various forms trying to get us to comply with what someone else wants us to do. Usually it's a subtle suggestion and we generally don't want to rock the boat or upset anyone. So we just go with the flow.  Other times the pressure is more direct and we're faced with either complying or suffering direct consequences like being shunned by the group, ridiculed by them, or - in the most extreme - facing physical harm.

In our current age of social media saturation, this peer pressure shows itself in new forms that can cause great anxiety as we try to fit in, seek more "likes" and compare ourselves to a wider pool of peers. We want to catch the wave of current feelings in our culture and castigate those that stand against them. The internet has a way of amplifying the peer pressure further out of proportion.

The scriptures call all this the "fear of man" and it says the "Fear of man will prove to be a snare." It seems self-evident that it is for many people.

So how do we break out of the snare?

In the book of Proverbs it says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction." And in many other places the Bible warns against those who neglect to fear God or fear people instead of God. This may sound strange to some, but if you think about the immensity of God and His power plus the fact that He brought us all into being through creation, then a healthy and reverent fear is only right. More important is that fearing God rather than fearing humans puts things into the correct perspective. Jesus put it this way: "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God."

We all will face God at the end. It is better to fear Him than what our peers might think. So, be courageous. Make a stand for God and for yourself.