Peer Pressure (Revised For Teenager)
- Segun Laniyan
- Jun 6, 2016
- 6 min read
WHAT IS PEER PRESSURE?
The dictionary defines Peer Pressure as social pressure by members of one’s peer group to take a certain action, adopt certain values or otherwise conform in order to be accepted.
This definition highly suggests that the main goal of a person that gives into peer pressure, if he/she fights or not, is to be accepted or to conform to a particular norm. This leads us to question the integrity of the victims identity of himself.
So…If I asked you…Who are you?What would you say?
Now Its important to note that peer pressure isn't necessary a bad thing. If you are pressured to make the right decision, to say or do the right thing or pressured to conform to the right ideology or dogma….then that’s good peer pressure because you are pushed to do the right thing. Pressure in itself is like grape under a musher…..it would either make you or break you. In this instance you are made or reborn. You stay under the right social peer and you keep hearing ‘you can do this…you can study and excel in your exams….you can become an example of excellence in my exam even in the ones you are weak at.’ This is good peer pressure.
WINE MAKING PROCESS
Let me talk about the 'wine making process' briefly. The juicy wine we all enjoyed wasn't in this form. It was locked in the veins of a fruit called grapes. So what the wine makers do is that they pluck grapes that are ripe. It is very important for the grapes to be ripe because if they aren't the juice wouldn't be sweet and the wine would be poor in value. When the ripe grapes are gathered they are placed under duress by the help of a musher with the aim of squeeze out the juice which we need for the wine.
How those this apply? Every good pressure you face is to bring out the best in you. Remember the grape needed to be ripe before transformed to wine...which means that if you under good pressure right now it a sign that you are ready to move to the next level. Think about it...the true reason for the exams you take isn't to fail you but to test you and make you know that you can move up to the next class. So when you feel pressured during exam period know let it squeeze out the best in you.
BAD PEER PRESSURE
Bad peer pressure is engineered for one purpose only: To break you!The bible says in 1 Peter5:8 that “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” This means we need to be vigilant and be very discerning to distinguish which peer pressure we should give into.
Now we see that bad peer pressure breaks you or makes you do what God doesn’t want you to do or, worse, become who God doesn’t want you to become.
Based on our definition of bad peer pressure, what one-word would you use to describe it? TEMPTATION!
If this is right then we would be right to say that everyone or every major figure in the bible went through bad peer pressure at some point of their life.
10 MAJOR FIGURES IN THE BIBLE THAT WERE PRESSURED
Adam and Eve who were both pressure to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6)
Cain who was pressured to killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:6-8)
Noah who was pressured to drink too much wine from his vine yard and got drunk (Genesis 9:20-23)
Abraham pressured to lie that his wife was his sister (Genesis12:10-13)…also he was pressured by his wife to sleep with his maid for a child (Genesis 16:1-4)
Isaac, like his dad, was pressured to lie that his wife was his sister (Genesis 26:7)
Jacob was pressured by his mother to take his brother’s blessing (Genesis 27:5-10)
Joseph was pressured to deceive his brothers about who he truly was (Genesis42:1-12)
Moses was pressured to mis-represent God (Number 20: 6-12)
Samson was pressured by a beautiful woman by the name of Delilah to disclose the secret of his power (Judges 16)
The Israelite pressured to have a king (1 Samuel 8:4-9)…..which led to a king that was pressured to make a wrong decision (1 Samuel 15)
CONSEQUENCES OF GIVING INTO BAD PEER PRESSURE
Every time you give in to bad peer pressure there are always dire consequences.
Adam and Eve was separated from their source of life (Genesis 2:16-17)
Cain was cast out and cursed (Genesis 4:10-12)
Noah’s nakedness was exposed (Genesis 9:21)
Abraham was asked to leave the town he sojourned in (Genesis 12:8-20)…..and fathered a child that wasn’t God’s will for him (Genesis 16:4-5)
Isaac allowed fear to determine his choice (Genesis 26:7)
Jacob fled from his home (Genesis 27:41-45)
Joseph had to live with the agony of not telling his brother who he truly was (Genesis 43:29-30)
Moses didn't enter the promise land (Numbers 20:12)
Samson lost his life (Judges 16:23-30)
Israelite got a tyrant as a king (1 Samuel 8:9-18)….Saul lost the throne (1 Samuel 15:23b)
NOT GIVING INTO BAD PEER PRESSURE
(DANIEL AND THE 3 HEBREW BOYS)
Daniel was a unique man. He was a man that, despite the heat of peer pressure all around him, he resolved in his heart not to give in (Daniel 1:8)
At the age of about 15 years his country (Israel) was besieged and captured by the babylonians under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. As a result of this Daniel and his people were exported to babylon.
One day the king ordered his chief officials to select people from the noble families of the exiles. People that are good looking and intelligent. People that are quick to understand and learn. With the intention to train them and teach them the ways of the babylonians so they would be equipped to serve the king. Daniel and 3 other hebrew boys, by the name of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were part of them.
Now it’s important to note that the deeper consequence of the babylonian training would threaten to erode every values held by the hebrew boys. The meals (Daniel 1:5) assigned, by the king, to be given to these trainees highly suggest that the lifestyle of the babylonians were lascivious and hedonistic; completely opposite from the lifestyle of the hebrew boys.
Think about the immerse peer pressure they might have faced. They were captured as slaves and then selected to serve the king personally. They were also offered to indulge in ‘the life style’ of the captors. This would inevitably make them higher than their mates. What would you do if you had the opportunity to be popular at the cost of your Faith? Would you give in or would you stand your ground. Daniel and the 3 hebrew boys resolved in their heart not to indulge (Daniel 1:8). Because of this God gave them knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning (Daniel 1:17).
Another incidence arose that demanded the 3 hebrew boys to denounce their faith. The babylonian king made a golden image and commanded all the officials and every other people of different nation to bow down in worship on the day of it dedication. Everyone bowed down except these 3 hebrew boys. Just imagine the immerse pressure they would have felt coupled with the fact that their life were threatened. Despite all these they stood their ground and God delivered them (Daniel 3).
Lastly, in Daniel 6 we see that Daniel faced another pressure which was intended to prevent him from praying. Despite this, after the draconian decree was made he went home and prayed. He didn't waver (vs 10). Because Daniel didn’t give in to any pressure God blessed him with wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He lived a long life and saw 2 different empires as an adviser to the kings.
DEALING WITH BAD PEER PRESSURE
(JAMES 4:7)
Submit to God….The word submit means to give over or to yield to the power or authority of another. Meaning that you cannot deliver yourself from bad peer pressure because you do not have the power on your own. So…you need to submit to God.
Resist the devil….The word resist means to withstand, strive against or oppose. Meaning you have to consistently stand firm on your faith and not give in.
…..and he would flee….The word flee means to run away or to take flight. Meaning when you fulfil the 2 stages prior to this (submit and resist) what happens automatically is that the devil would run away or take flight. This means you have overcome giving into temptation of bad peer pressure