Last Saturday, our youth fellowship had a discussion on ‘Peer Pressure’. It was quite good and relevant; after all, we’re all affected by it, its not just teens. :) But there are few things that need mentioning as well, will get to that in a while.
Yeah, I think we’d all admit that we cave in to our surroundings quite often. Caving in to outside influences i.e. ‘worldly assumptions and values and norms etc (many forms such as fashion, language, sexual laxity/perversion, disobedience, stealing, what’s right and wrong according to ‘general opinion’.. the list goes on and on..). The question is what do we do about it? Are we oblivious to them, or know and choose to ignore them?... Is there any defence against it?.. Thank God there is, its His Word and we need to heed it and not only that, but the Lord Himself intercedeth for us, and we need to bring it all unto Him and repent of them, and learn from Him with a meek and contrite spirit, ever yearning to learn and grow more and more into His likeness, lovingly and eagerly submitting unto Him. Like that Sunday school song that always is sung, ‘Trust and obey, for there’s no other way.’ :)
Now, there is also this idea that we frequently hear and being propagated ‘Be true to your self’ when dealing with topics such as peer pressure or when instilling moral values and what not. What does this mean?
If what we mean by this is being honest and not hypocritical, perhaps it’s ok, but again the questions arise, honest to what? Or whom? What standard?... Myself?... Surely that can not be so, right?... Indeed it can’t. Self is sin, we live not according to the flesh but according to every word of God which is pure and perfect and nourisheth. It needs to be rephrased, ‘Be true to God!!’:)
Can we trust our hearts to be our guides? Jer 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” . . We would not want that to be our guide now, would we?... Surely not rite.. Thankfully when we’re born again, we’re given a new heart (Eze 11:19). But that is not the end; we must diligently search scripture, and learn and heed it.
Psa 16:1 “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”
Psa 18:1-2 “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength, The LORD is my rock, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
Psa 25:4-5 “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Psa 26:2 “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”
When we’re facing difficulties or ‘peer pressures’ mounting us to conform, the benchmark is not self examination by our mere own standards or others, but must come before God to be examined, the measure is His Word, and never our own standards. The more we seek God to direct our paths, the more will be revealed, when the light shines upon our darkened hearts, and then follows repentance and further obeying and maturing in Christ. :)
The Word shows us for who we really are. Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” As much as we would try to hide, when we approach the word of God, our hearts are laid bare before God, as much as we would try to fool those around us by what we say and do, our Lord is a discerner of our hearts, He trieth the reins.
With so many false teachings and erroneous thoughts, and apostasy increasing (Acts 20:29-30 “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”), we need to hold fast to the faithful Word (Titus 1:9 “Holding fast the faithful words as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” )
Throughout scripture we see the immense importance of heeding God and His gracious revelation that we have in our hands today, our Bibles, which is His inspired Word. If we love Him, we will keep His commands (John 14:15). There and many paths that seem right unto us, bringing temporal satisfaction to self glorification, but is it honouring unto the Lord, and glorifying Him?
Prov 16:2, 25 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Which way then? John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Its not many ways, there’s only one, and that is our Lord Jesus. :)
Regarding all this, an important aspect is reverential fear of the Lord. Its important in guarding ourselves against the sins that so easily beset and entice us. Prov 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Another frequently quoted verse is Prov 3:5-7 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”
That pretty much sums everything doesn’t it? :) Not some of our ways, or ways that we would like to choose, in ALL our ways we should acknowledge Him.
When we’re girded up with His Word and constantly relying upon Him for strength and guidance, we’ll be able to resist the temptations that surround us as well as discerning more clearly the deceptiveness of things around us, and won’t go after cunningly devised fables. Prov 1:10 “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” That being said, we must not let pride creep in either and think that we’re strong and well grounded, more oft than not, its when we think that we’re strong that we’re more likely to have a greater fall, we have to always, always, watch and pray. 1 Cor 10:12 “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
We’ll end with a quotation from Psalm 37: 3-7 and a hymn.
“Trust in the LORD, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”
Trust, Delight, Commit and Rest in the LORD.
Simply trusting every day,
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Trusting Him while life shall last,
Trusting Him till earth is past,
Till within the jasper wall;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Brightly doth His Spirit shine,
Into this poor heart of mine;
While He leads I cannot fall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Singing, if my way is clear,
Praying, if the path is drear;
If in danger, for Him call;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Yeah, I think we’d all admit that we cave in to our surroundings quite often. Caving in to outside influences i.e. ‘worldly assumptions and values and norms etc (many forms such as fashion, language, sexual laxity/perversion, disobedience, stealing, what’s right and wrong according to ‘general opinion’.. the list goes on and on..). The question is what do we do about it? Are we oblivious to them, or know and choose to ignore them?... Is there any defence against it?.. Thank God there is, its His Word and we need to heed it and not only that, but the Lord Himself intercedeth for us, and we need to bring it all unto Him and repent of them, and learn from Him with a meek and contrite spirit, ever yearning to learn and grow more and more into His likeness, lovingly and eagerly submitting unto Him. Like that Sunday school song that always is sung, ‘Trust and obey, for there’s no other way.’ :)
Now, there is also this idea that we frequently hear and being propagated ‘Be true to your self’ when dealing with topics such as peer pressure or when instilling moral values and what not. What does this mean?
If what we mean by this is being honest and not hypocritical, perhaps it’s ok, but again the questions arise, honest to what? Or whom? What standard?... Myself?... Surely that can not be so, right?... Indeed it can’t. Self is sin, we live not according to the flesh but according to every word of God which is pure and perfect and nourisheth. It needs to be rephrased, ‘Be true to God!!’:)
Can we trust our hearts to be our guides? Jer 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” . . We would not want that to be our guide now, would we?... Surely not rite.. Thankfully when we’re born again, we’re given a new heart (Eze 11:19). But that is not the end; we must diligently search scripture, and learn and heed it.
Psa 16:1 “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”
Psa 18:1-2 “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength, The LORD is my rock, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
Psa 25:4-5 “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Psa 26:2 “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”
When we’re facing difficulties or ‘peer pressures’ mounting us to conform, the benchmark is not self examination by our mere own standards or others, but must come before God to be examined, the measure is His Word, and never our own standards. The more we seek God to direct our paths, the more will be revealed, when the light shines upon our darkened hearts, and then follows repentance and further obeying and maturing in Christ. :)
The Word shows us for who we really are. Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” As much as we would try to hide, when we approach the word of God, our hearts are laid bare before God, as much as we would try to fool those around us by what we say and do, our Lord is a discerner of our hearts, He trieth the reins.
With so many false teachings and erroneous thoughts, and apostasy increasing (Acts 20:29-30 “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”), we need to hold fast to the faithful Word (Titus 1:9 “Holding fast the faithful words as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” )
Throughout scripture we see the immense importance of heeding God and His gracious revelation that we have in our hands today, our Bibles, which is His inspired Word. If we love Him, we will keep His commands (John 14:15). There and many paths that seem right unto us, bringing temporal satisfaction to self glorification, but is it honouring unto the Lord, and glorifying Him?
Prov 16:2, 25 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Which way then? John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Its not many ways, there’s only one, and that is our Lord Jesus. :)
Regarding all this, an important aspect is reverential fear of the Lord. Its important in guarding ourselves against the sins that so easily beset and entice us. Prov 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Another frequently quoted verse is Prov 3:5-7 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”
That pretty much sums everything doesn’t it? :) Not some of our ways, or ways that we would like to choose, in ALL our ways we should acknowledge Him.
When we’re girded up with His Word and constantly relying upon Him for strength and guidance, we’ll be able to resist the temptations that surround us as well as discerning more clearly the deceptiveness of things around us, and won’t go after cunningly devised fables. Prov 1:10 “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” That being said, we must not let pride creep in either and think that we’re strong and well grounded, more oft than not, its when we think that we’re strong that we’re more likely to have a greater fall, we have to always, always, watch and pray. 1 Cor 10:12 “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
We’ll end with a quotation from Psalm 37: 3-7 and a hymn.
“Trust in the LORD, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”
Trust, Delight, Commit and Rest in the LORD.
Simply trusting every day,
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Trusting Him while life shall last,
Trusting Him till earth is past,
Till within the jasper wall;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Brightly doth His Spirit shine,
Into this poor heart of mine;
While He leads I cannot fall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Singing, if my way is clear,
Praying, if the path is drear;
If in danger, for Him call;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
