Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

You hear a lot about the bad effects of “peer pressure.” People are driven to bad choices and lifestyles, all because of a desire to fit in with a certain crowd or gain approval from a particular person. Galatians 1:10 says, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” Many of us can fall into this dangerous trap when we have our priorities in the wrong place, prizing external approbation above all else. We think “everyone else is doing X, so maybe I should be doing it too.” This is not a healthy thought process.

But sometimes we confuse peer pressure with accountability. It is imperative to have spiritually strong people in our lives who are willing to lovingly keep us in check. Galatians 6:1-2 says, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” While we shouldn’t strive to be a people-pleaser, desiring the respect of strong Christians is not a bad thing.

The relationship between Timothy and the Apostle Paul is a wonderful example of this. Paul writes to him, “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well” (2 Timothy 1:3-5). Can you imagine what these words must have meant to Timothy, a young pastor? What a priceless gift it would be to hear a committed follower of Christ and one whom you respect as a father express his trust in your “sincere faith”!

If you’re hesitating before doing something, ask yourself: “would I do this if my pastor was watching? What about my boss? Or that friend whose judgement I really trust?” If the answer is no, this is probably a sign to step back before you make a wrong decision. If we would be rightly ashamed to act in a certain way in front of another Christian, we definitely shouldn’t be acting that way in front of God. Preserving our Christian testimony can be a great safety-check against sin.

Of course, the “good pressure” of a fellow Christian is still not perfect. We are all fallible. We can wrongfully prioritize the desire for respect, and even the most faithful can give bad advice. So we have to remember that God holds ultimate accountability. He sees every word, deed, and thought. One of my favorite psalms, Psalm 139, says: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all” (vs. 1-4). We shouldn’t even have to ask ourselves, “would I do this if God was watching?”, because He always is. This should be comforting, rather than crippling. God knows the sins that we never even noticed ourselves, yet His love still covers them. We can never want His approval too much, nor can we be too “pressured” by a desire to please Him. He is the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, and He loves each of us more deeply than we can even realize. How could the knowledge that the King of all glory is watching us not create an earnest desire for His pleasure and compel us to seek His ways more diligently every day? May our greatest reward be to hear the words of our Master saying, “well done, thou good and faithful servant.”