Dear friends,
I want to share a little story with you about peer pressure. Back some time in the late 90’s, a friend of mine called me up and asked if I wanted to drive to the beach for the day. Sounded like fun, so we did. We headed towards Canon beach, then drove south on highway 101. As we started to approach Lincoln City, my friend asked me if I wanted to go to the casino. I felt uncomfortable about this. I didn’t feel this is what God wanted me to do. It was a personal conviction. I also realized that I was wearing a Promise Keepers shirt. For those of you that don’t know what Promise Keepers is, it’s a Christian men’s ministry that meets all over the country every year. I’ve had some amazing God moments at Promise Keepers, some which I will share with you another time. J
Anyway, I didn’t feel comfortable going into the casino wearing a Promise Keepers shirt. How would that look? My friend told me I could change my shirt, but if you think about it, I’m not only a Christian on the outside, but also the inside. So, whether people see the Christian shirt I was wearing or not, I need to be an example of who God wants me to be, so if someone was to ask if I was a Christian, they could see a difference in who I am, and in the choices I make. So, I decided not to go inside the casino. Even though my friend didn’t make a wise choice, I hope that standing up for my conviction some how stirred something in his head. At least he knew where I stood in my convictions. So the next time he may not ask me to do something I don’t want to do. So, as my friend went into the casino, I decided to walk out onto the beach. I sat on a log, and spent some quiet time with God. It was an awesome time! I know God was pleased with my decision and was happy that I spent some time with Him.
I share this story with you because I want to encourage you all to make wise choices. As you spend time at school and in your neighborhoods, you may be confronted with peer pressure from a friend or from someone you want to impress that you want to have as a friend. They may be a non-believer, or even a Christian. They may ask you to make fun of someone, to say something inappropriate, to steel something, to destroy someone’s property, or to look at something inappropriate on the Internet. What ever it might be, if you feel it’s wrong, stand up for what you believe, be willing to stand up for your convictions and be willing to say “No”. You will make God happy. And God will bless you for making wise choices. Also by saying no, your friend will see where you stand, so next time they might not ask you to make a poor choice. Also, by saying no, you will hopefully encourage your friend to also make a wise choice. If this is a true friend, they will understand when you say no and also still be your friend. If they don’t, then maybe they aren’t really the type of friend you deserve!
Don’t ever make poor choices to impress someone, just to make a friend. You may regret the things you do. God will bless you with good friends. First of all, you have Jesus as your friend. What better friend is there than He? You also have your brothers and sisters in Christ at Surge. Some of my best friends are people I met at my 20 Something group at my old church. And, I have some great newer friends that I met at Grace Chapel. God really blessed me with some great life long Christian friends!
Think about this idea….. If you are looking for a friend, maybe you could be a friend. Look for those students at school who are new, who may seem different, or might not be very popular, and reach out to them. You may change their life as well as yours. Also, hopefully your friendship will draw them near to Jesus, and they too will have a reason to make wise choices!!!
Your friend,
Michael Gentle
