Resisting Peer Pressure

Reviving the Family

Strengthening The Bond Between God and Families

How Can Parents Prepare Their Children
To Resist “Peer Pressure” to Do Evil?
                                                                              Robert Taylor, Jr.

          The biological power in a husband and wife team to produce a child in no way serves as a
          guarantee that these same two will be successful in the total rearing of the child. Too many
          parents feel that when they feed, clothe, shelter, secularly educate, provide medically, and see that
          a child receives proper recreation the awesome parental obligation has been attained,
          maintained, and concluded. The foregoing concepts leave out the spiritual aspect which includes
          a threefold obligation—duties toward one’s own soul, the souls of others, and toward the heavenly
          maker of men or God Almighty. Involved in that spiritual aspect is the proper preparation of enabling a child to
RESIST what some deem to be an almost IRRESISTIBLE pressure of the day, that which comes from one’s peers to do
wrong. The truth of the matter is that some parents WILL NOT and CANNOT provide such preparation in the parent-child
relationship. Others can and do. The thrust of this article will touch briefly both groups.

PARENTS WHO WILL NOT AND CANNOT...
Some parents see no problem here. They do not sense much wrong in any action except that which may get a child into
trouble with the law and land him/her behind bars. Such parents, unlike Jesus, have never learned to hate iniquity and love
righteousness (Psalm 45:6-7; Heb 1:8-9). Unlike the Psalmist they have; never learned to “esteem all thy precepts
concerning all things to be right” and thus to “hate every evil way” (Psalm 119:128). With no cognizance of right or wrong
in moral and ethical realms themselves, they are in no position whatsoever to prepare their children against “peer
pressure” to do wrong. They will not do such; they cannot do such with their present philosophy of life.

Some parents cannot do so effectively because they themselves do not resist “peer pressure” to do wrong. They may
have a surface set of moral values to which they give lip service only but utterly fail to practice such themselves. It
becomes hollow mockery for parents to TELL children not to follow a majority to do evil when children know parents do
not live up to the vocally set standard themselves. They know Daddy will not resist taking a drink when out with the boys.
They know Mother has given in joining her feminine friends with smoking, drinking a bit, cursing a little, ambling, and lax in
her dress, when with the immodest element, is no different than her peers wear. Children who see their parents almost
bankrupt themselves to keep up with the proverbial Jones family next door, at church, or as business associates will
never be influenced by these same parents who are big with a talking game in this regard but little on action.

How effective could an adulterous David be in encouraging his children not to give in to peer pressure to commit
fornication just after the Bathsheba incident in 2 Samuel 11? How effective could a permissive Eli be for Hophni and
Phinehas not to give in to permissive actions as practiced by their peers? How effective could King Manasseh be with
Amon, his son, not to give in to his peers who loved to worship idols? How effective could Ahab be in teaching daughter
Athaliah not to give in to peer pressure to engage in wrongdoing when she saw her father constantly bowing to peer
pressure exerted by Jezebel? How effective could Solomon have been with Rehoboam about not giving in to peer
pressure relative to the having of more than one wife?

PARENTS WHO CAN AND DO...
These are the parents who meet not only the needs their children have physically but major also in meeting their spiritual
needs. These are the parents who, like Zacharias and Elisabeth, are righteous and walk in all the commandments of the
Lord in blameless fashion (Luke 1:6). These are the parents who like Eunice and Lois, possess an unfeigned faith and
pass it on to their precious offspring (2 Tim 1:5). These are the parents who, like Jesus, love righteousness and hate
iniquity (Psalm 45:6-7; Heb. 1:8-9). These are the parents who, like Abraham, train and teach the children the right way to
think, speak, and act (Gen 18:19). These are the parents who, like Joshua, declare that the entire household will serve
Jehovah (Josh 24:15). They are like Jonadab, son of Rechab, and teach their children not to drink wine (Jer 35:1ff).

Modern parents can best teach and prepare their children to resist “peer pressure” to do wrong by practicing such a
courageous concept themselves and doing it consistently. Then their teaching will have teeth embedded therein. The
child from infancy should be molded to love God and Jesus and consider what they say as being far, Far, FAR more
important than what a peer might pressure one to do. Homes that are truly Christian where fathers and mothers pray,
study the Bible, live Christ before their children and NEVER miss an assembly of the church are best fitted to prepare
children to resist “peer pressure” to follow a crowd into wrongdoing (Ex. 23:21).