My Dad’s Favorite Bible Verse

17 May My Dad’s Favorite Bible Verse

Read Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)
Thought for the Day: “Think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love!”

I vaguely remember first hearing the phrase “peer pressure” sometime in mid- Elementary school. But, by the time middle school rolled around, this phrase had certainly made it into the mainstream of my school experience. Seemingly wherever I turned, I began to encounter posters, slogans, and speeches all centered around peer pressure. But, for some reason, the vast majority of what I encountered was negative. All the messaging was about “avoiding peer pressure” or “the dangers of peer pressure”. 11-year-old me started wondering about something…

Certainly, peer pressure can be used the wrong way. But, even as a child, I began to wonder if maybe my teachers were missing something. I wondered if perhaps peer pressure was neither wholly good nor bad. I began to wonder whether it was simply a neutral force that can be used for good or harm. Years later, I became a teacher myself and learned that 11-year-old me had been onto something. While none of us can (or should) control anyone else, we do all wield influence. This influence, while finite, is a powerful tool.

Of course, this is extremely applicable to all parts of our lives, including our faith journeys. Faith is a personal walk between each of us and Jesus. However, there is also a group component to living a Christian life. The Writer of Hebrews is clear. We, as Christians, have a collective responsibility to motivate each other to live out Jesus’ message. We have a responsibility to use positive peer pressure to “Think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works!” (My Dad, Pastor Stan, has always let me know that this is his favorite Bible Verse!)
With this in mind, let’s realize that we can work with the other Christians in our lives to be agents of encouragement, love, and positivity!

In Christ,
Pastor David