Whenever a child reaches the age of adolescence, they are going to experience peer pressure in school. Whenever we hear the term "peer pressure" we think of adolescents in high school which are dealing with issues pertaining to drugs, alcohol, teen sex, rock music, etc. Most of the time we limit it to high school or college age students. However, peer pressure isn't necessarily limited to high school or college age students. Many adults face preer pressure as well on a daily basis whether it be on the job, a social event, or in politics. Anybody that pays attention to politics will have to admit politicians in Washington, D.C. face peer pressure on a consistent basis. Back in March, Congress passed a major healthcare overhaul bill. However, it didn't pass easily. Some of those votes came through bribery. Some of it came as a result of peer pressure. There are Democrats on Capitol Hill that felt pressure from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to pass that bill. However, peer pressure isn't just limited to the Democratic Party. The Republicans make decisions based on peer pressure as well. There are those elected officials that desire to feel accepted and liked among their colleagues in Capitol Hill so they'll vote on certain measures to feel accepted and to be a part of the inner circle. However, regardless of the age group, peer pressure is something everyone faces on a daily basis. It's an issue that we must deal with everyday. We must make the decision to either go with the flow or stand up for truth.
What is peer pressure? Peer pressure is social pressure to perform, mimic, act out, or conform to people your age, status, or educational level, etc. Whenver I think of peer pressure, I think of Daniel and the three Hebrew children. In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar had made a golden image and everyone in Babylon was to bow down and worship the image when the sackbut, dulcimer, and other instruments played. However, there were certain Jews whose names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that were determined that they weren't going to bow down unto the golden image. They stood up and were faithful to the Lord. They were threatened by King Nebuchadnezzar and he said they would be cast in the fiery furnace if they refuse to bow down and worship the image. They refused to do so. They told King Nebuchadnezzar that their God was able to deliver them and if He chose not to they still weren't going to bow down and worship the image. It's evident from what they told Nebuchadnezzar that they had purposed in their heart they weren't going to follow the crowd and worship the golden image. They weren't going to "blend in" and flow with the crowd. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar had heated the furnace seven times hotter. The three Hebrew children were cast into the furnace. The fire was so exceeding hot that it slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. While they were in the furnace there was a fourth man with them in the furnace and the fourth man walking was like the Son of God (vs. 25). There was not a burn, no clothes or hair singed, nor the smell of fire on them. God had protected them in the furnace. It made a believer out of Nebuchadnezzar. He said "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God (vs. 28). Their stand for the Lord made a believer out of Nebuchadnezzar. Their obedience and faithfulness to God proved to Nebuchadnezzar and all those in Babylon that the God they served was real. As a result of not succumbing to peer pressure, they found favor with the king and they were promoted in the province of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar even made a decree that anyone speaking anything amiss about the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill. The three Hebrew children found favor with the king and those around them.
In Daniel 1 you read about the reign of King Jehoiakim, king of Judah, you read about Daniel, and the three Hebrew children that had found favor with the king and those eunuchs around them. Vs. 4 says they were children who had no blemish, but well-favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge. They weren't hillbillies. They were educated. However, they weren't going to compromise and back down from serving the Lord. God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. Vs. 8 says Daniel had purposed in his heart to not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank. He requested to the prince of the eunuchs that he not defile himself. Vs. 12 says, "Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink. So the prince of the eunuchs consented and for ten days they ate pulse and drank water. God blessed them for their faithfulness. (V. 15) "And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat." God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom. The Lord showed that they could make it on pulse and water. These lessons prove that God will reward faithfulness. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah found favor with the king and the king inquired of them in all matters of wisdom and understanding. If they had compromised and succumbed to peer pressure, the king and the prince of the eunuchs would've had no use for them. Why should Daniel and the three Hebrew children be respected if they were going to cave in and defile themselves with the portion of the king's meat? Those four stood out amongst everyone. God rewarded them with favor and promotion.
We live in a society that teaches compromising and fitting in. Christians all the time face situations where they're asked to compromise their stands in a number of areas. Christian women that dress modestly face peer pressure to dress immodestly in the work force. Sometimes Christian people will be pressured to attend a social event related to work where they serve alcohol. Christian young people face peer pressure to listen to a certain kind of music that is ungodly whether it be rock or modern day country music. There are all types of pressures that Christians face on a daily basis. The world will test us to see if we believe what we say we believe when it comes to the Bible. Sometimes there are single Christian people working and there will be co-workers that will try to match make them with somebody that would be out of God's will for their lives. There have been a number of Christians that have compromised over the years in some of their stands. There are saved people today that have caved in and no longer stand on some of the convictions they once had. They no longer command the respect and favor they once had from the world. Those Christians that succumb to peer pressure will be ineffective in their testimony before the world.
If Christians expect to be an effective witness to the lost world, they must be real and they must be consistent on the principles they stand upon. They cannot cave in and succumb to peer pressure and expect to be favored and honored. Daniel and the three Hebrew children were favored and honored because they were consistent in their Christian walk. When they were put to the test, they didn't cave in. The three Hebrew children's lives were threatened by King Nebuchadnezzar. They were cast into the fiery furnace. They didn't know for sure whether they would physically survive. They trusted that God was able to deliver them from the furnace. However, regardless whether God allowed them to escape alive or not, they weren't going to bow down to the golden image. They proved their God was real by not bowing down to peer pressure. That's the kind of Christians God desires us to be. You don't find much of that in modern-day Christianity. I guarantee you if we don't stand to the test, we won't receive favor nor approval from God. There have been Christians that have stood the test and as a result there have been those without Christ that have asked those Christians to pray for them. Why? Because they proved their God was real and that God was worth living for. If they caved in to peer pressure, the world wouldn't have turned to them when their own world was in trouble. The world will never come to us when they have trouble if they don't see us on a daily basis walking the talk. Daniel and the three Hebrew children proved that God will reward faithfulness when put to the test. They all proved that compromise wasn't worth it. Don't succumb to peer pressure. It won't be worth it in the long run. Those that claimed to be your friends will ignore you if you cave in to peer pressure. The world needs to see Christians that are real. When we compromise and succumb to peer pressure, we're in essence saying that living for Jesus isn't worth it. A Christian never will be able to prove to the world that Christ is real if we compromise. I appreciate the examples God gives us with Daniel and the three Hebrew children in the book of Daniel.
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