Positive Peer Pressure

Daniel 3:17-18.
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it. . . But even if he does not. . . we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the idol King Nebuchadnezzar had set up for the people to worship. It would have been interesting to listen in on their conversation as they discussed what to do about the king's order in spite of the fact that they could die if they refused to obey it.

Their thoughts probably ran along the same lines ours would have if we had been in their position. One of them probably suggested that they just bow down without letting their minds and spirits enter into worship of the image. Go thru the motions without the feeling. They knew their hearts were pure, even though they had bent their knees in order to preserve their lives.

Another may have suggested that they go on a long vacation trip away from the city until the edict to worship the idol expired. If they did that, they would not have to appear to worship, but could preserve their lives.

A third option involved putting their lives on the line. If they refused to bow down when the signal was given, they knew what would happen. Their actions would be reported to the king immediately and they would end up in the fiery furnace. The temptation to compromise or run away must have been just as intense for them as it would be for us. But, they chose to trust God and stand firm in their refusal to worship any god but him.

Soon after Shadrach and company had made their decision, the signal was given. Immediately, men, women and children fell to their knees to worship this idol, but there were three friends who stood tall and did not bend the knee.

Peer pressure is generally considered to be negative. Growing up, my dad would always advise me about following the crowd, or doing what others do if I didn’t believe in it. But, it also has a positive side. In the case of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, peer support helped them stand firm in a life-threatening situation. Solomon pointed out in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 that it is good to have a friend who will stand with you and help you up when you fall down. Since friends can be so helpful in giving us the backbone we need to make Godly decisions, we should work hard at selecting the very best people to be our companions. We should choose friends who will apply positive peer pressure rather than negative. That’s what the church is for…..the support system that we need when we need to take a stand or make a positive statement for God. Surround yourself with those that are in God’s will for they will provide positive peer pressure.