My cell phone rang with an urgent call from my wife: "Daisy's out! I need your help!" I finished my business, hopped in the car and hurried home through the rain, thankful I was just a few minutes away.
Two of our neighbors' dogs had decided to chase Daisy, our Black Angus heifer. They slipped through the gate into her pasture and took off after her, barking and nipping at her legs. Out of fright, Daisy leaped over her fence, leaving just a wisp of black hair on the top wire. (Until that day, I was unaware of cows' hidden agility). By the time I arrived home, Daisy was standing by our back door—still nervous, but beginning to calm down. With the help of a feedbag and not a little urging, we coaxed her back into the pasture.
Thankfully, when we explained the problem to our dog-owning neighbors, they were very helpful and willing to work to prevent future problems. I appreciated their understanding and cooperation, but what also struck me was each owner's assessment of the situation. Each owner said that his dog was well-behaved and obedient when alone, and that it only got into trouble when it was with the other dog!
My Dad used to recount a saying his father had taught him about peer pressure: "One boy's a boy, two boys are half a boy, and three boys are no boy at all!" It is an apt saying—notice that he often told it to his own three boys—but it rings true about human beings in general. When we are in a group, we can get into all sorts of trouble that we never would alone. Mob rule or peer pressure—normal inhibitions break down, and trouble just sort of "happens" to people who might otherwise think of themselves as well-behaved.
Teenagers, facing peer pressure to be like their friends, can be lured into dangerous or even criminal behaviors. To gain favor with a group, they may do things they would individually have the character and wisdom to avoid. Adults, too, are driven by peer pressure, though perhaps more subtly. We can fall into unhealthy behavior—pride, envy, gossip, anger or backbiting—because we want to please those around us. The temptation to follow the group is a powerful force that can have disastrous consequences.
What kind of people do you associate with? Do they help you be a better person, or do they drag you down? Scripture warns us: "My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, 'Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause'… do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path" (Proverbs 1:10–11, 15). The Apostle Paul wrote: "Do not be deceived: 'evil company corrupts good habits'" (1 Corinthians 15:33).
We need to choose wisely the people with whom we spend our time—because we will probably become like them (Proverbs 22:24–25)!
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The above is adapted from one of the many commentaries, discussing vital topics facing our world, available at the www.lcg.org and www.tomorrowsworld.org Web sites.