“Peer pressure is neither good nor bad—it just is.”

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-10) from his book, Spirituality for the Rest of Us: A Down-to-Earth Guide to Knowing (p. 65). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

For the most part when we hear the phrase peer pressure we think of it being bad.  Larry says, “Peer pressure gets lots of bad press in the Christian community. That's unfortunate, because peer pressure is neither good nor bad—it just is. It's a potent force that can make us better or worse—or in some cases, cause us to do things that make us look goofy.”

Larry continues, “We all seem to have a built-in urge to conform. It pulls us toward alignment with what others think, do, and say… The biblical warnings about avoiding the wrong crowd are well known. They get lots of attention. So much so that many have taken this avoidance to a ridiculous extreme, producing an unfortunate brand of Christian isolationism that undercuts our ability to impact a world we no longer have any contact with. Unfortunately, all the bad press has blinded many of us to the positive side of peer pressure. In fact, the negative connotations are so great we often assume that anything done primarily because of outward influence is somehow less praiseworthy or authentic than something done from a purely internal motivation. Not so.”

Hebrews 10: 24 - 25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Now it is important to see that this is not about church attendance but about putting the positive power of peer pressure to work.  It is about staying connected.

Larry says, “Now, sermons and large gatherings have their place. They can be a powerful catalyst for spiritual insight and growth. If I didn't think so, I wouldn't waste my time preparing and presenting sermons to large gatherings on a weekly basis. But I'm kidding myself if I think they alone can produce long-term, life-changing spirituality. They can't. The best way to produce that kind of spirituality is to hang around those who are already experiencing it. It's a law of human nature. Over time, we start to think, act, and live like those we spend significant time with. Those who understand this principle and put it to work find that spiritual growth is just plain easier to come by. It really does ‘rub off’.”

You see, we really do need each other.  So who is bringing positive peer pressure on you?