Answers
By BGEA Admin • October 18, 2022 • Topics: Youth Issues
Q:
I’m in my senior year in high school and I still haven’t conquered the desire to be popular. I’ve been driven to do wrong things that I really didn’t want to do but did them anyway because I would be more accepted by my peers. Yet my guilt is more than I expected and it’s taken away the fun of being popular. Where have I gone wrong?
A:
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Peer pressure (doing things to be accepted by others) often influences young people to make decisions that have the potential of bringing lifetime regrets. If young people do not learn the dangers of succumbing to such pressures, the same conflict can follow them into adulthood. Peer pressure molds people into the wrong kind of person. When people’s friends deceive them, they’re not really friends.
Desiring to be popular is not uncommon. People at all ages can struggle with this behavior. We must ask ourselves why we’re driven to respond in ways that make others happy that they have a hold on us. Some of the answers are to feel accepted or to have someone’s approval no matter what. This is not abnormal but it can cause a great deal of anguish, leaving people worse off than desperately wanting to be part of the crowd.
There’s a wonderful passage in Scripture that addresses this with powerful imagery. “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-make you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed” (Romans 12:2, Phillips).
When we take our stand for Christ and seek to do His will, He helps us navigate life’s experiences and gives us the discernment to see things for what they really are.
(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
