Don’t Give In

by Rachael Renee

“Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you, don’t go along with them.”-Proverbs 1:10 (MSG) This verse directly speaks to our topic of discussion for today which is peer pressure. Before we get started let’s define our key terms which are peer pressure and peers. According to Merriam Webster, peer pressure is defined as a feeling that one must do the same things as other people of one’s age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them. A peer is defined as one that is of equal standing with another.

     Now that we know what those terms mean let’s talk about the verse and how it relates to peer pressure. The verse says “Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you, don’t go along with them.”-Proverbs 1:10 (MSG) So according to that verse peer pressure could be considered a form of temptation but what does that mean exactly? Well, temptation is the act of tempting or the state of being tempted especially to evil. In essence, peer pressure is being tempted or pressured into doing wrong. At least that’s what you’d probably gather from the definitions we found. However, I don’t fully agree with the definitions because you might not necessarily be pressured into doing something wrong you could just be getting pressured into doing something you’re not comfortable with. 

       For example, I used to hang out with a group of girls and they loved talking about their crushes on boys, things they found attractive about those boys, and things of the sort. Keep in mind we were between the ages of 10-12. At that age I was focused on school, making money, learning about hair, playing with dolls, and watching Barbie Life In the Dreamhouse. I had no interest in talking about boys, especially not with them. They’d constantly pester me about not having crushes and things like that. Often times they’d be like: “Rachael who’s your crush? You don’t have a crush? Do you like anyone? What’s his name?” My response was always “I don’t have a crush and I don’t like anyone.” It was to the point where they thought I was gay, speculation leads to misinformation. I didn’t like anyone or have a crush but they kept trying to force it on me. One time we were out and they told my parents I had a “boyfriend” that I met at ballet named Michael (WHICH I DID NOT) I was incredibly annoyed and they thought it was hilarious.

        Now, what’s the point of me telling you that little story? It’s to show you that if you stand your ground and aren’t easily moved you won’t easily be pressured into doing things you don’t want to do. The best way to do that is to set boundaries and find ways to change the topic of conversation. The Bible says “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.”-Proverbs 29:25 (MSG) Don’t be scared of what people might think of you if you don’t want to participate in certain things, stand your ground.

You can follow the author of this post, Rachael Renee on her personal Instagram.