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COPING WITH PEER PRESSURE
From the cradle to the grave, we are all under pressure in varying degrees to conform ourselves to the way our society says we should be. Those who are young often find themselves under a tremendous amount of pressure, to give in to the things their peers deem as being important. We call the pressure exerted on us by our peers, PEER PRESSURE. One of the greatest hindrances to young people giving heed to sound advice, and operating in wisdom, is peer pressure.
Peer pressure----- is the pressure to comply and conform to the ideology, code of conduct, and value system of others. There are many different ways we can respond to this pressure, and there are many different ways this peer pressure can affect us mentally. Peer pressure is felt most intensely when we are young and most impressionable. Peer pressure invades every aspect of our lives, seeking to mold and shape our mindset and attitudes to its specifications. This pressure come at young people from every direction, music, TV, movies, and their peers. In order for us to cope with life as God would have us to, calls for MATURITY.
Most young people look forward to the day when they can leave their parents or guardian house and strike out on their own, so do most parents, (smile). If you have not yet moved out on your own, you no doubt look forward to the time when you will be able to.
There often a lot of time spent daydreaming about the freedom of having ones own house, car, and being able to stay out as late as one wants, etc. It is also God's will, that you one day be on our own and live a positive and productive life. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Gen 2:24.
You should keep in mind that freedom comes with responsibilities, which calls for maturity. This process is what God expects, parents to prepare their children for. Maturity is a universal value, something all desire because of the image it expresses: "I'm mature, I'm independent, I know how to think for myself."
But being considered mature and being mature are not identical. Once again we find that freedom not only doesn't exist without responsibility... it hinges on it. It is God's will that we reach a mature level, in every area of our life, but in order to so this, e need a right relationship with him. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1st Cor 13:11.
Youth is a time when our desires and carnal lusts strike the strongest and we have the least amount of experience in dealing with them. The hormones flowing through our body causes our emotions to fluctuate between extremes. This is a time when we have new functions that we are just beginning to learn how to deal with. There are new desires that you are now aware of, but you are still learning how to deal with them. All these factors combined, can and often do lead to many potentially dangerous and hurtful circumstances and situations. Many who are young have followed their desires, feelings, and opinions, to the point of their own hurt. In some cases to they went to an early grave, because they lacked, knowledge, and wisdom, which comes through experience, and giving heed to sound council.
Solomon tells the tragic story of a young man who had feelings and desires, but lacked understanding. This young man was enticed into a sinful situation, without realizing, that the price he would pay for this encounter was his life. 7And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, 8Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, 10And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. 13So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, 18Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. 22He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; 23Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Prov 7:7-23. For many young people, youth is the first half of their life which they spend, to make the second half of their life miserable.
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