A Young Person’s Perspective: Peer Pressure

Peer Pressure

I decided to have my own little praise and worship session in my room the other day and it’s amazing how God can put an idea concept into your heart when you remain in His presence.

I was thinking earlier this week… ‘What should I blog about?’ I knew I wanted to blog but I didn’t know what about. I don’t ever want to blog just because I feel like I haven’t published a message in a while. I know it needs to come from the Lord, so I waited on the Lord and lo and behold I’m back with something I have dealt with, am still dealing with and will deal with for time to come. The dreaded peer pressure.

Remember our centred scripture for this series of messages?… Let me remind you:

‘How can a young person stay on the path of purity?’ By living according to your word’ Psalm 119:9 (NIV)

Being part of the generation we are in, we are bound to be harassed by peer pressure in some way, shape or form. Why does peer pressure even arise in life? It’s because the ways of the world form our opinions and society’s perceptions are imprinted in our minds. My personal peer pressure battle is the fact that whenever there is a night out I get convinced into going. I know personally that this is a hindrance on my walk with God because I behaved very differently in those environments. I was never conscious about God within a club, I was too busy dancing, trying to act like how I ‘should’ according to the ‘norm’.  But I believe God has met me at this point in my life for a divine purpose which I’m trying to figure out. I’m trying to get across the fact that we have to be conscious of the image we give off. If we call ourselves Christians, the Holy Spirit is meant to guide us and we are meant to search for what the word says about certain activities we engage in. We need to pursue righteousness.

Following the Lord will require you to make certain changes. Some changes will cause constant battles for you. You have to encourage yourself in the Lord. To be a follower of the Lord, you have to take risks. Dare to be different and not venture down the path everyone else goes. Find yourself in Christ.

If you honestly want to beat peer pressure you need to constantly remember why the Lord has put things in place. For everything there is a reason. God’s master plan is salvation for all and your another piece in the jigsaw. God will use your life to impact others for His greater will. In this process He will bless, exalt, and remain faithful to you in all that you ask of Him according to His plan for your life. Don’t think once you’ve stated ‘I will not do this or go here’ that all the problems are over. You need to reinforce your declaration whenever it arises to trouble you. It is a constant battle, but you will overcome. The devil went away and came back to torment Jesus multiple times but we know that because Jesus stood firm in faith, he overcame the evil. Remember, it’s not going to be easy. We will have to fight against sly comments, criticisms and funny looks, but greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

I could honestly talk about so much but I will keep this relatively short. I will leave you with some scriptures to reflect on. The book of Ephesians is such a great book of the bible. I personally love it because it provides straight forward, easy to understand statements on the ways we as young people should conduct ourselves:

‘You were taught to, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness’ Ephesians 2: 22 – 24.

‘For you were once darkness, but now you are in the light in the Lord. Live as children of light ( for the fruit of the life consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.’ Ephesians 5: 8 – 10.

‘As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient’ Ephesians 2: 1 – 2.

I heard a song that summed up the current situations I’m in and it sends out such an important message to Christians, specifically to us in the younger generation who are more susceptible to be influenced by worldly vices.

Jonathan McReynolds – No Gray.

Listening to the lyrics is the most crucial thing.

God Bless you in your journey to seek His glory.

(P.S. if you have any questions, feel free to ask, just post a comment down below. It’s good to discuss things, someone could provide that answer you need).

Blossom into…

Believers who stand strong against temptation.

God Bless,

Gina 🙂 x