Peer Pressure
Do you know what a “peer” is?
No, not “pier.” That’s a platform that goes out into the water; sometimes people will tie their boats to it.
A “peer” (at least in what we’re going to talk about today) is a person who is in the same group as you. For kids, your peers are usually in your class or grade at school, and you’re probably about the same age. Sometimes your peers are your friends; sometimes not.
Either way, your peers can influence how you behave. This is called “peer pressure.”
Sometimes peer pressure is good. Peer pressure can push us to work hard, like on our softball team or in science class. It can also inspire us to treat others kindly. Think about it: if everyone around you is doing their best and treating one another well, you’re probably going to go along with the group and do the same thing.
But sometimes peer pressure is not so good. While it’s easy to go a long with a group making good choices, it’s also easy to go along with a group making bad choices…choices that we might not make otherwise.
The choice to cheat.
The choice to lie.
The choice to steal.
The choice to do something we know our parents wouldn’t want us to do.
The choice to hurt people—our neighbors—with our hands or our words.
It’s important to understand that sometimes we make these choices on our own. But it’s a lot easier to make them if other kids are along for the ride.
You know what isn’t easy? Deciding to push back against that bad peer pressure. It’s hard to go against the crowd. It’s hard to make a choice that makes you stick out when most of us want to fit in, to belong.
But here’s some good news—some WONDERFUL news:
Hard does not equal impossible…especially when we invite Jesus into those choices.
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul writes to people who were having a hard time holding on to the truth of Jesus; they were letting other things change how they thought and acted, just like we all do sometimes. Early in the letter Paul says something that can be helpful when we find ourselves feeling pressured to do things we know don’t honor God or show love to our neighbors:
“Am I now trying to get people to think well of me? Or do I want God to think well of me? Am I trying to please people? If I were, I would not be serving Christ.” (Galatians 1:10, NIRV)
When someone is pressuring you to do something you don’t think you should, listen to that little pull on your heart. Ask yourself the question Paul asks in Galatians and gives to us to ask ourselves. And if you figure out you’re doing something just to be part of the crowd and to make people like you, remember who you belong to: Jesus. He’s not just along for the ride; he’s with you always. He doesn’t just like you; he loves you. Choose him.
SAMPLE PRAYER:
God, I pray that when faced with tricky choices, that I choose you. Will you help me do that? If I find myself in situations where people pressure me to do what I know isn’t right, will you show me the way? Will you remind me that I’m yours and that I am a servant of Jesus? I ask all of this in his name. Amen.