“Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character…” ~ 1 Corinthians 15: 33-34

We are who we hang out with, which is why it's very important to choose relationships that are God-honoring. Not only does this apply to loving relationships, but this also applies to platonic relationships too! The thing is your close friends impact you and friends tend to rub off on each other. I’ve heard this statement before and can’t begin to stress how true it really is: your best friend is often a picture of the future you!

If you have a few close friends, you’ve probably heard of peer pressure. There’s good peer pressure like encouraging your friends at a sport or keeping each other accountable. But then there’s bad peer pressure… telling you to watch something inappropriate, saying curse words, bullying a new kid at school. And this is where we as Christians must be able to stand up for the truth and do the right thing. And to be honest, it’s not always going to make you feel good to do the right thing at the moment—but you’ll be happy later on that you did. 

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls Christians the light of the word. This means that as Christians, we are to shine Christ’s light in this dark, broken world—so we’re meant to stand out!

Standing firm and choosing not to participate might make you feel left out—but here’s the thing: You’re a Christian, so you’re meant to stand out! But the greatest part of standing out is that you can more easily stand out for Jesus. People will notice you’re different, and wonder why?

And as scary as that might sound right now, there is a comforting truth you can hold onto when standing out. Your true friends will love and appreciate your character without forcing you to change who you are! They won’t tell you to slow down, rather, they’ll be able to compliment your pace. They’ll be able to encourage the growth they see in you, and not stunt it. They’ll point you towards Jesus, and not away from Him. 

Personally, one of the biggest things I’ve strived for in this life is validation—and let me tell you, that has not been a fun thing to strive for. I often feel like I have to be everyone’s friend—but as a Christian, this is not a realistic goal. The thing is, you can’t compromise on your Christian standards just because you want everyone to like you!

I totally get it when people say it feels weird to go against the flow. It doesn’t feel natural, but the thing many of us forget is that it’s not meant to! It’s not meant to feel easy or natural to do the right thing, but we have to do it anyway. And I can tell you that many of the times I’ve gone against the flow—especially in school—there have been people who didn’t like or appreciate me. There have been people who mistreated me and gossiped about me long afterwards. Trust me, it did hurt to feel rejected in those moments and it felt awkward to be the only one in the room who had convictions. It didn’t feel good standing up for the truth in the moment—but the positives of doing so, much outweighed the cost. In these moments I stood up for the truth—I also found other Christians in my classes sometimes. We were able to stand up for the truth together and back each other up from time to time. We all were able to have compassion for each other knowing making the right choice isn't always easy. And through all this, I made a Godly impact in the lives of those around me!

And I can also say with confidence—I don’t regret a single moment now that I made the right choice and chose not to fit in. Why? Because standing out for Jesus was always worth it!