Ephesians 1:17-23
Fitting in, as people we are created for relationships and desire acceptance. Yet at times we are willing to compromise our values and beliefs to gain the fleeting praise and acceptance of others. This is simply called peer pressure. We often think of this term in relation to teenagers who are pressured by their peers into making unwise decisions. However, we can be pressured to conform even when we are older. It is often said that, “Everything is for sale and everyone has a price.” The book of Daniel records perhaps the best recognized examples of a response to peer pressure. The first chapter records Daniel and his three friends in a foreign land in training to serve the king. Daniel resolved in his mind not to defile himself with the food that was unclean and unacceptable by God’s standards (Daniel 1:8). Later in the book the three friends of Daniel are threatened with death if they did not worship the gold statue of the king. In the face of immense pressure they reaffirm their belief in God to deliver, and their resolute refusal not bow to the statue (Daniel 3:16-18). Where does that kind of confidence come from? In Ephesians chapter one Paul prays that the Ephesian church will know God better (17). He prays that they will know the hope, riches and power found only in knowing God (18-23). Our hope is based on Christ and not on what we dream to achieve. Our wealth is found in a merciful God who lavished on us the gift of His Son who died for us to make it possible for us to become part of His family. The same unmatched power that God used to raise Jesus from the grave is now resident in the one who places their faith in Christ to save them. Through God’s power we can withstand temptations and live counter to the pressures found in our culture.
For More See EPHESIANS
Fitting in, as people we are created for relationships and desire acceptance. Yet at times we are willing to compromise our values and beliefs to gain the fleeting praise and acceptance of others. This is simply called peer pressure. We often think of this term in relation to teenagers who are pressured by their peers into making unwise decisions. However, we can be pressured to conform even when we are older. It is often said that, “Everything is for sale and everyone has a price.” The book of Daniel records perhaps the best recognized examples of a response to peer pressure. The first chapter records Daniel and his three friends in a foreign land in training to serve the king. Daniel resolved in his mind not to defile himself with the food that was unclean and unacceptable by God’s standards (Daniel 1:8). Later in the book the three friends of Daniel are threatened with death if they did not worship the gold statue of the king. In the face of immense pressure they reaffirm their belief in God to deliver, and their resolute refusal not bow to the statue (Daniel 3:16-18). Where does that kind of confidence come from? In Ephesians chapter one Paul prays that the Ephesian church will know God better (17). He prays that they will know the hope, riches and power found only in knowing God (18-23). Our hope is based on Christ and not on what we dream to achieve. Our wealth is found in a merciful God who lavished on us the gift of His Son who died for us to make it possible for us to become part of His family. The same unmatched power that God used to raise Jesus from the grave is now resident in the one who places their faith in Christ to save them. Through God’s power we can withstand temptations and live counter to the pressures found in our culture.
For More See EPHESIANS
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