Dealing With Peer Pressure

We live in a world where there is immense pressure to ‘fit in’—to dress, speak, and believe a certain way. Yet, God has called us to be ‘set apart’ from the world.

I understand peer pressure is real. I remember the time when I was working in Kuwait. All my colleagues were unbelievers, and every day during our lunch break, the women would gather and gossip about others. Back then, I was a new believer and somehow I knew that I shouldn’t be a part of these conversations, and so I would find ways to sit alone by myself and sometimes spend time talking to the Lord. I didn’t want to put myself in situations where I would conform to the world or be influenced by their lifestyle and way of thinking. And so I had to protect myself.

Did they like it?

Obviously no! And, there was a lot of pressure on me to please them, but I did not want the world to infiltrate my new found relationship with Jesus.

Is it worth pleasing man?

Galatians 1:10, ESV says, For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

In other words, Paul is saying, “If my efforts are towards pleasing man, then I won’t be able to please God.”  You can either please God or man, not both. Either live by His Word or give in to peer pressure and lose the favour of God.

Ask yourself: Is pleasing man worth it?

You see, at the end of the day, no man can pay a price for you the way Jesus did, and man, who himself is bound cannot set you free!

The Bible says in Psalm 146:3, Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

Again Psalm 118:8,9 says It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

Don’t give in to the pressure of man

In Exodus 32, the Bible talks about the incident when after leading the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God. He was gone for 40 days and nights. While Moses was on the mountain, the Israelites, growing impatient, asked Aaron, Moses’ brother, to create a god for them to worship.

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. (Exodus 32:1)

Aaron gave into their pressures, and instead of taking a stand for God and Moses, he asks them to give all their gold and makes a golden calf out of it. And, not only that, he also builds an altar before it and offers burnt offerings and peace offerings, declaring a feast to the ‘Lord’.

Now think about it: Aaron was the one who was in charge of the Israelites in Moses’ absence. He was supposed to lead them to God, instead he gives in to the pressure of the people and leads them away from God.

Look at the consequences of their choices. God was so upset with them that He wanted to consume them all.

And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” (Exodus 32:9)

You are set apart!

How many times you and I have been in a similar situation where we can sense the pressure to give in to the ways of the world. Sometimes as pastors and leaders, the pressure is to preach to the audience what they want to hear, so the people don’t get offended. But remember, as Paul says, if I were still trying to please man I would not be a servant of God. 

This means that one of the ways we qualify to be a servant of God is when we stop pleasing man!

At the end of the day, the world has nothing to offer us. People cannot give us salvation, eternal life, breakthrough, redemption, or true freedom. Yet, we often give in to their desires and, in doing so end up displeasing God.

Also not to forget there are consequences to the choices you make. What are the fruits of your decisions? It may seem ok at that moment but in the long run, what are you losing? What spirits are you exposing yourself and your families to?

Child of God, you are set apart unto God and you don’t need the approval of man. Don’t let peer pressure lead you into making wrong decisions that can destroy the destiny that God has in store for your life. It is the Lord who sees your heart and It is He who lifts you up.  Trust in Him, walk with Him. He is too faithful to fail you!