The word “peer” means one that is of equal standing with another; equal; one belonging to the same societal group, especially based on age, grade, or status.
Your peers can exert an invisible pressure on you to make you want to be like them. Everyone in the office is buying a new car so you feel obliged to buy one although you cannot afford it. Everyone in your family may be going for a holiday so you may want to go too although you cannot afford it. Peer pressure can afflict an individual, family, child, the old and even a nation.
1 Samuel 8:19-20
“Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”
Israel succumbed to peer pressure and demanded a king because they wanted to be like all the nations. In the end, it was not a blessing to them.
It is always important to listen to the Lord instead of yielding to peer pressure, because the leading of the Lord is the highest form of wisdom.
Kakra Baiden
