Teaching tip 32 - Peer pressure
Teaching tip 32 - Peer pressure.Note. This lesson is suitable for children approaching or going through adolescence.
I want to talk about a time in your lives called Adolescence. This is the time when we change from children into adults. The approximate age range that people go through this process is 11 to 15, with girls usually being about two years younger than boys when this happens - although everyone is different.
During adolescence a lot of obvious physical changes will take place in your body. But as well as this, a lot of changes also take place on your "inside" - such as the way you feel and think about things. It is as though a whole new world opens up to you with new friends, new interests, new opportunities etc. For this reason, adolescence can be a very exciting time. But for many young people it can also be a very tough time.
Adolescence can be a tough time for two main reasons :-
1. Pressure to conform.
This pressure is on us all our lives, but it is particularly strong during our adolescent years. Thus there is a pressure to look the same, dress the same, do the same as your friends. In other words, the pressure is not to be different.
An American Professor once confirmed this peer pressure. He had a group of ten students in their adolescent years. Nine students were "in on his secret" whereas the tenth was not. He was the 'guinea pig'. The Professor drew three straight lines on the blackboard, with one slightly (though obviously) shorter than the others. He told his class that this was an eyesight test and pointed to one of the longer lines, asking how many of the group thought that this was the shortest line. The nine adolescents who had been told beforehand what to do put their hands up. But the tenth student also put up his hand! By doing this he showed that he would rather be wrong than different! The Professor repeated his test with many other groups and found that over 80% of adolescent students would vote for the obviously wrong line rather than appear to be different from their classmates. Thus less than 20% of the students had the courage to vote for the right line and thus appear 'different' from their peers.
Did God make us all the same? No, of course He didn't. You only have to look at each other to see that you are all different. God wants us to be individuals, think for ourselves, and not copy others simply because it is the "fashion" at the time.
2. Low self value.
Surveys have shown that approximately 90% of adolescents have a low self value, or esteem, mainly because they don't like the way they look.
The Bible talks about 'the world'. That refers to people who don't acknowledge God. They may well believe in Him, but they live as though He doesn't exist. The world has a different set of values from true Christians. They believe that the really important things about a person are the way they look, their intelligence, their wealth and (in some countries) their sporting abilities.
1. Your looks.
Most adolescents don't like the way they look. They may think "I'm too short, too tall, too fat, too thin, my nose is too long, my nose is too short, My mouth, eyes, ears are to big or small etc. etc. If any of you are tempted to think like that, I want you to remember two things. a. Nobody is perfect. The only perfect looking people that ever lived were Adam and Eve. Since sin entered this world, everything has been spoiled, including the way we look. b. If you don't like one of your features, e.g. you think your nose is too long, remember nearly everyone else in your age group is thinking something similar about themselves, e.g. they might think their nose is too short!
2. Intelligence.
If you do well at school, pass your exams, go to University, etc., people will admire you. But if you don't do too well at school, most people will not seek your advice or opinion. But because a person has a high I.Q., does that mean that he is a better person than someone wiuth a low I.Q.? No, of course not. What God is most concerned about is not how clever you are, but what you are really like on the inside - Do you love and honour Him? Do you treat others with love and respect?
3. Wealth.
If you have a lot of money, people will want to know you. But is a wealthy person's opinion of more value than a poor person's? No, I don't think so. What matters is how you use whatever you have, not how much you have.
4. Sport.
In some countries, if you are good at sport, you will become a national hero. People will look up to you and make you their role model. But should we attempt to copy a person just because he/she is good at sport? No. It is far better to copy someone who is leading a good life, irrespective of their sporting achievements.
Conclusion.
What do you think is God's opinion of these four 'worldly' values? His opinion is neutral. It doesn't matter to God if you are beautiful, intelligent, wealthy, good at sport or not. What matters to God is what sort of person you really are. Are you using what He has blessed you with (whether big or small) in the right ways?
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 8:09 PM
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