Read Proverbs 13:20 and Romans 12:2

I’m in with the In Crowd

I go where the In Crowd goes!

I’m in with the In Crowd

I know what the In Crowd knows!

Peer Pressure! At the hearing of that term, if you are like me, you immediately think of teens getting into trouble.  An otherwise good teen being forced into doing something that they usually wouldn’t do, just because of pressure from the kids around him/her. But peer pressure is not confined to childhood.  Adults face peer pressure every day too. None of us want to be left behind when everyone else at work is getting together.  To be part of the “in crowd”, we might find ourselves doing things, going places, participating in activities we normally wouldn’t think of doing.

I love this quote from Jim Caviezel the actor who portrayed Jesus in the movie “The Passion of the Christ”: 

Set yourselves apart from this corrupt generation.

Be Saints. You were NOT made to fit in.

You were born to STAND OUT!

Why do we strive to be outstanding and away from the crowd in sports, academics, or our jobs, but then settle to be one of the crowd when it comes to social or ethical situations?

Be bold! Let people know you are God’s child not by preaching to or condemning them (that is God’s job) but by your speech and your actions. It is up to you to try to live a Christlike life, to be a leader not a sheep being guided back and forth by immoral people.  You need to stick up for what you believe and, if you are not sure what it is you do believe, maybe you need to take a step back and figure that out.

“Walk in the ways of the wise for the companion of fools suffers harm.” (Proverbs 13:20)

You might need to seek to find others at work with whom you have similar values and morals.

How about taking an inventory of your “friends?” How many are bad influences to you?  How many of them should you distance yourself from, at least until you can start being a leader not a follower of them? Now, go over the list again and see how many of them you feel you need to be an example to.

Think about the forgotten people in your universe, ones who are on the outside looking in.  Why not make an effort to talk to them this week and get to know them better?  Who knows – they just might be the person God has sent to lead you away from being a victim of peer pressure and into being a stand out leader for God’s kingdom!

Pat Arnold