Peer influence is one thing that every single one of us deal with at one point or the other in our lives. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, male or female, big or small, rich or poor, you have a level of peer influence you are dealing with. If it is not to hang out and have some bottles of beer with your friends, it is cheating your way through or even cheating on your spouse. You just have these peer influences to deal with.
These issues can be seen at the work place, school and religious set ups. A staff who usually go to work early gradually begins to report late to work because of the influence from older workers who have found a way to cover their tracks. A committed church worker suddenly begins to slack in duty because of negative influence from fellow church workers. I can go on to site instances, but I guess you are beginning to get my point.
“If you can’t beat them, join them” is one ideology that has coerced people into joining the band wagon to do the wrong things. And a lot of people have found themselves in very destructive paths that they don’t know how to get themselves back on track.
If you are struggling with overcoming peer influence, there is a way out for you. If you can’t beat them, stand out. When you stand out, you become a standard. I do not disregard the need to exert some sort of positive influence on your peers. However, it is better to stand out than to be negatively influenced while trying to be a positive influence to your peers.
That majority of the people are doing it does not make it turn from wrong to right. That you see a pastor doing something does not make it right if it is wrong. I say this not with indignation, but I really need us to understand that a wrong process cannot turn right because someone you hold in high esteem is doing it.
Remember, if you can’t beat them, STAND OUT!