Managing Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is a fact each person must learns to manage. Negative peer pressure is one of parents’ primary concerns as their sons and daughters seek more independence in adolescence and young adulthood. However, peer pressure isn’t limited to any one phase or stage but overlaps every stage of development.

Temptation's cutting edge can infiltrate our best guarded defenses by sidestepping our strengths to penetrate our vulnerabilities. The strength of our self-image, fortified by our faith in God and the need to be accepted by our peers, is linked to how successful we are in resisting temptation.

Do we attribute too much power to those who entice us to reject our faith in God? Proverbs 1:10 advises, "When temptation entices you, turn your back and walk away."  Accept the escapes from temptation God always provides. Be alert and strong in the Lord when you are confronted by the cutting edge of peer pressure and temptation.  

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Wise friends make you wise, but you hurt yourself by going around with fools.

~Proverbs 13:20 Contemporary English Version

 

Don’t fall into the trap of being a coward – trust the Lord, and you will be safe.

~Proverbs 29:25 Contemporary English Version

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On Wednesday, December 21 through Christmas Day, blogs will be posted each day to coincide with KHCB radio's special music and short devotional programming, "Five Days of Christmas". 

Trust: a Bridge from Conflict to Freedom

Unresolved conflict builds a bridge to emotional distance that separates those who love and cherish each other. Conflict most often centers on the issue of control. In some marriages the battle for control begins immediately, not necessarily an aggressive striving for control but perhaps a subtle, indirect effort to demonstrate power.

The attempt to gain power may remain activated indefinitely. This is especially true where a healthy balance of power remains unnegotiated. Freedom of choice is a God-given privilege, but conflict attempts to negate the right to choose. Even God gives each person the right to choose or reject his grace and mercy.

Conflict driven by greed, fear or insecurity strives to extinguish the right to choose. According to Proverbs 29:25, "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." Establishing trust in God and others diminishes fear. Trust builds a bridge to freedom from the bondage of conflict.  

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Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!

~Proverbs 3:5-7 The Message

Prevent Hatred's Grip

The fact that hatred brings destruction into the world is indisputable. Unchecked hatred is a satanic force that creates atrocities for all within its influence. Joost A. M. Meerloo, in his book The Rape of the Mind, warned that “Hatred for outsiders deflects the hate and aggression each person feels toward his own group or himself. The more fear there is in a society, the more need there is for an internal scapegoat and external enemy."

Meerloo makes it clear that hatred felt toward oneself and one’s own people is acted out on other selected enemies. Adolf Hitler hated all Jewish people and incompetent people in Germany and the world. These people became his enemies. Hitler’s own feelings of inferiority gave birth to self-hatred, then hatred for others.

To prevent hatred from getting a grip, understand that God did not create you for hatred, but to love justice and do what is right in his sight. The Psalmist reminds us that God punishes the wicked by their own snares. You can trust him to do what is right and just.  

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Fear of man is a dangerous trap; but to trust in God means safety.

~Proverbs 29:25 The Living Bible

God keeps every promise he makes. He is like a shield for all who seek his protection.

~Proverbs 30:5 Good News Bible

See how wicked people think up evil; they plan trouble and practice deception. But in the traps they set for others, they themselves get caught. So they are punished by their own evil and are hurt by their own violence.

~Psalm 7:14-16 Good News Bible

Building Trust for Change - Part 3

It isn't uncommon to make decisions and then continue to live with those choices long after they've become outdated. Restructuring obsolete decisions requires basic trust in your ability to cope with change. When decisions are difficult, it helps to be convinced that change is a necessity and that God will be at work to make those changes possible.

What holds us back is mistrust. Mistrust creates anxiety and distress along with fear of not being in control of our lives. Proverbs 16:20 encourages us to trust in the Lord, and as we do, we are blessed. Listen to Proverbs 29:25. "Whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." Mistrust tends to doubt these words of encouragement.

Making changes where mistrust has a stronghold is possible. Believe that God will show you ways to build trust in graduated steps that strengthen your confidence and assurance. God is faithful and will never put on you more than you can tolerate. He sends help so you can change old, worn-out decisions with confidence.