Peer pressure is one of the strongests influences placed on young people today. It has been said that it is twice as strong as the influence of home and family and is an even greater influence than religion!
Why do people use peer pressure? Are they that lacking in confidence themselves? Do they honestly want to "hurt" those around them only to make themselves feel better?
What makes peer pressure so hard to fight against? Face it..our instinct is to want to seek approval from those around us...which in turn the only approval we should be seeking is God's! We also want to feel a part of something! You want to be accepted by your peers--some are willing to disobey parents, sell out their personal convinctions just to be a part of a group!
What characteristics does it take to resist peer pressure? Are you grounded? Do you know what is right and wrong? What is your goal? Is God on your side when you are making these decisions? Who are you surrounding yourself with?
Thought-provoking questions...So, what do you do to "avoid" it?
Read the words from the Proverbs writer in Chapter 1
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to the.
If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someon'e blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like thos who go down to the pit;
We will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse."
My son, do not go along with them, do not set foot in their paths for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. how useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!
These men lie in wait for their won blood; they waylay only themselves!
Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
Know what is right or wrong--which means know the Word. Look at why these people are using peer pressure in the first place. Most of the time, do they have your best interests at heart when wanting you to do something? Absolutely not! Most of it is guided by selfish ambition!
Be prepared to be an "outcast." ---But, that is fine! Just because you don't follow the crowd, doesn't mean you are alone! If you make wise decisions, you have God on your team--and that will stand the test of time! He will always win! And...you will become stronger because of the adversity you face! Noah did it...Joshua and Caleb did it...JESUS did it (Matthew 4:11)!
You have to possess SELF-CONTROL! You must show restraint over your impulses, your emotions, your desires!
Make sure you are surrounding yourself with people who have the same goals as you! "Prevent" it the best you can! Your circle of friends says a lot about you! Make sure they are loyal...and make sure they hold you accountable just like you do them! If there is any peer pressure there--make sure it is the "peer pressure" that helps you--that leads you in the right direction! Take to heart 1 Corinthians 15:33--Evil companionship does corrupt good morals!
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