Peer Pressure

There is a tremendous amount of peer pressure put on a lot of Christians, to do things that they don’t want to do - but it is the fear of man that causes them to do it. If we go to the Word of God in Matthew 14:9 we see that King Herod was extremely upset, so much so that he beheaded John the Baptist. He did not want to do it because he had a real soft spot for that man of God but because of peer pressure, he conceded and allowed them to behead the man of God. Matthew 14:9 (NKJV) says:

And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.

We need to be very careful how we walk - The fear of man is a terrible thing and we end up doing things that we should never have done. Like going off on a weekend with your friends and then getting pressurised into doing something that you know God does not allow, does not condone or does not bless... There are unfortunately always consequences for our actions.

Like a young innocent schoolgirl, getting caught up at a party with a whole lot of other girls who are not innocent... Persuade her to sleep with a young boy who she doesn’t love but she does it because she thinks they’re all doing it. All the while they’re not and she ends up falling pregnant. Everybody thinks that she’s a bad girl but she’s not - she’s a girl that conceded to pressure. Or like a businessman who does not pay his income tax because other partners in the firm suggest that he doesn’t, what happens? He is the one that gets caught out and ends up going to jail for fraud because of peer pressure. 

We need to do only that which God tells us to do. In this day and age, just because everybody else is doing it and it seems it must be right, does not make it right. In fact, as Christians, we are becoming side-lined more and more - we are being isolated, criticised and even despised because we stand for truth and righteousness. 

May the Lord give you the strength to stand up for truth and righteousness and not to capitulate because of the pressure of this world. Just do what Jesus tells you to do and you will succeed.

Jesus bless you,
Angus and Jill Buchan