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.

Maybe Later

I'm just over half way through the list of reasons to not believe.  Of all the reasons I've listed, this one - to say "maybe later" - is perhaps to some a strange reason, but it's also the most personal to me. It's the reason I didn't believe for many years.  Or perhaps I should say it's why I didn't commit to following Christ.  A few years ago I posted a blog that gave my "Faith Story," that is, the story of how I became a follower of Jesus.

As a teenager I heard "the Gospel" at least two or three times, in school (yeah, very radical for my American friends) and at a local youth group. Each time I heard it, it resonated with me and yet I wouldn't respond for fear of what my friends would think. I always thought "maybe someday" but never today.  I'm guessing this is quite common. We worry about what others think which holds us back from doing what we know deep down is right, despite what others might think. Peer pressure is a powerful barrier.  Unfortunately, the scriptures are quite clear. Jesus said "Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Even at that time, I knew that I was sitting on the fence and that wasn't good enough.


Turning back again to scripture, one of the radical things Jesus said is "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." In that scripture He goes on to say that like someone considering a building project, or a king deciding whether or not to go to war, would count the cost first and so you too should count the cost before deciding to become His disciple.  He concludes by saying "In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples."

In these words He hits us right in the heart. Will we choose to love Him over any other, whether best friends or even our closest family in order to follow Him? That's a tough fence to climb over.


So it isn't supposed to be easy, to choose to follow Jesus.  But if you do, then He promises so much more in return: “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”


One last scripture for this blog, and it's one I pray often for friends and family who've not yet decided to follow Jesus:

As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
   
  and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

You can say "maybe later" as I did all those years ago, and perhaps God will be gracious and give you a second, third and fourth chance to respond to Him. But perhaps not, and maybe today is the day to step off the fence and make that decision.
 I pray you will.