How might I best handle peer pressure?
1 Kings 22:13-14Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.” But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”
Proverbs 4:27Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.
Matthew 1:20, 24When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.
Luke 20:21“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully.”
Acts 4:16-20“What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
2 Corinthians 6:8-10We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known.
Galatians 6:8-10Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
Realize that negative pressure from people and culture may come with painful consequences if you fail to reject it. Train yourself to live by God’s standards, which will help you develop the conviction to keep strong even when tempted. The Bible contains the absolute truths by which all people should live, the truths that lead you on the right path.
Exodus 23:2“You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice.”
Psalm 1:1-2Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
Proverbs 14:7Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.
Proverbs 24:1Don’t envy evil people or desire their company.
Proverbs 27:17As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.
1 Corinthians 15:33Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”
Perhaps the most obvious and most practical way to resist negative peer pressure is to choose wise peers. If you can’t resist friends who constantly lead you to do wrong, you might need to stay away from them until you have the strength to resist their temptations. Always consider God’s Word as the ultimate test for pressure, taking delight in knowing what God says.
Psalm 119:143As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.
Luke 20:21“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully.”
Acts 17:11The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
Before you do what others want, first think about what God wants and what God says in his Word. When you take time to consider his advice, as found in the Bible, you will know if your peers are trying to persuade you to do the wrong thing. It is easier to resist bad influences when you are grounded in God’s Word and committed to obeying it.
Matthew 14:9The king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders.
Never let pride or the risk of embarrassment keep you from making the right choice. Keep your motives pure. Pride and embarrassment are poor motives for your choices.
Psalm 101:4I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.
Isaiah 8:11The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does.
Remember that thinking like everyone else is not always the right way to think. The crowd doesn’t always move in the right direction. Truth found in God’s Word is never just one of several opinions to be considered in making a decision. What Scripture teaches is always reliable in the face of overwhelming opposition.
Genesis 39:10She [Potiphar’s wife] kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.
Proverbs 1:10My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!
1 Corinthians 10:13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
Hebrews 2:18Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
Hebrews 4:15This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
James 4:7So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Everyone goes through times of temptation. Even Jesus was repeatedly tempted. How we deal with temptation keeps us from or leads us into sin. We resist or yield to temptation depending on how important God is to us. When God is our top priority, we will be close enough to him to notice how he is showing us ways to resist the temptations bombarding us.
