{"id":265896,"date":"2016-10-26T04:40:52","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T04:40:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/"},"modified":"2016-10-26T04:40:52","modified_gmt":"2016-10-26T04:40:52","slug":"november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/","title":{"rendered":"November 7th-13th 2011, if you do not manage peer pressure you will not influence your market place with christian values"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

J. N. N. Ng\u2019ang\u2019a \u2013 Meditations for Nov 7-13th , 2011:\u2026. if you do not manage\u00a0peer pressure<\/em> you will not influence your market place with Christian values<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day 1<\/p>\n

Exodus 23:2<\/a><\/strong>
\u201cDo not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Peers make the most powerful mob that is difficult to pull out of.For us not to be part of a mob we\u00a0 need to Manage Peer Pressure .We need\u00a0 instead to seek to influence our peers rather succumbing to their\u00a0 influence. And by the way when I say peer pressure, it may be family pressure for peers are not just your age mates. There is a certain expectation by your parents, by your brothers and sisters, that\u00a0 could be\u00a0 causing you to make wrong decisions. That too in my definition is some type of\u00a0 peer pressure. Peer pressure also includes\u00a0 pressure from friends.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Day 2<\/p>\n

Judges 6:31<\/a><\/strong>
But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, \u201cAre you going to plead Baal\u2019s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Why\u00a0one\u00a0follows\u00a0the peers?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Christians are supposed to be strict followers of Jesus and no one else and in that way set examples for all others to follow. Why do born again people not become the example we are describing? Yet am telling you example is the best way of leading or influence our market place.<\/p>\n

The \u00a0 first cause I think is the\u00a0fear of rejection<\/strong>. At times you feel that you so much want to be accepted by the group, that you do whatever\u00a0 the group will approve, isn\u2019t it? However,\u00a0you cannot be a Christian and seek people\u2019s approval<\/strong>. Whose approval should\u00a0 you seek? God\u2019s approval. There are various opportunities where you know if you do it a certain way, everybody will agree with it, and you will benefit. This way\u00a0 you do not have to fight. Nobody enjoys fighting with people, nobody enjoys a hostile atmosphere. So you behave in a way that will remove this hostile atmosphere. But I want to tell you that fear of rejection, need for acceptance, can cause you not to be a good example.<\/p>\n

Day 3<\/p>\n

Job 31:34<\/a><\/strong>
\u2026\u2026because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside\u2014<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Secondly ,why we follow the peers is ,lack of being sure of who you are and therefore\u00a0\u00a0allowing others to define you<\/strong>. You like when\u00a0 people say to you,\u2019 oooh! You are such a wonderful girl\u2019.That\u2019s what people want to hear. Now, do you know who you are? You know some people wake up not knowing who they are, they are waiting for others to tell them\u00a0 who they are. I want to tell you, If you don\u2019t know who you are, others will tell you who you are. In such a case\u00a0 you are not a leader. You cannot influence others, if you are seeking the same people you are trying to influence, to be the ones to tell you who you are.<\/p>\n

If you are to have an influence in the market place ,it will be critical that you know who you are very\u00a0 clearly. Like, if you wear your suit, wear it properly, go to a mirror look at yourself, be happy with yourself. When you go there, and they say, what an ugly suit, that\u2019s their business. It will not affect your day. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You looked at yourself in the mirror and you liked yourself. Did you read the stories of \u201cAbunwasi\u201d in primary school? There is a guy who started by being carried by a donkey, then finally he was told he is wrong and ended\u00a0 carrying the donkey instead . That\u2019s what happens to a person who is not sure of himself .He is without influence.<\/p>\n

If you allow other people to start defining you, you will stop being carried by the donkey, you will start carrying the donkey. Its important that you make a decision, I want to find out from God, who am I? He created you a purpose and so knows really who are or who you ought to be. Once you are sure who you are, it will give you the moral courage, the confidence, to be able to do what God wants you to accomplish.\u00a0 People will confuse you and you will not reach that purpose. I have discovered that unfortunately ,it is like people have a ministry of discouragement. Have you ever heard of that ministry? Whatever you try to do, they feel like they are anointed to discourage you from doing it . It\u2019s very important to understand that if you don\u2019t know who you are, and you don\u2019t get your encouragement from God, chances are, you will never influence others..they will influence you . You cannot be an example.<\/p>\n

Day 4<\/p>\n

Mark 8:38<\/a><\/strong>
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father\u2019s glory with the holy angels.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

self doubt<\/strong><\/p>\n

the second cause of succumbing to peer pressure is related to my third one,\u00a0self doubt<\/strong>. \u2018Are you sure?\u2019, they ask. Then you feel like changing your decision. If your decision is well thought out , well researched, you asked all you thought know the subject better than you before you made your decision, then you should stick with it. People don\u2019t want to follow someone who is not sure of what they are saying. Am not suggesting that whatever comes out of your mouth, you expect people to follow. What am saying is, be careful what you say with your mouth. Research your facts , consult others\u2026.and once you are sure about them, talk. All of the research\u00a0 is done in the background. It means that you have the idea of what God has given you, you have researched on it, you have even tested it on people, (we call it \u201cyou have piloted the idea\u201d), once you are now sure you have heard from God, now go before them without doubt. You are likely to influence them..even if they initially try to put doubts in you.<\/p>\n

Once you have a truck record of coming up with good ideas then people will tend to be influenced by your ideas both in the professional area but even in their personal lives.<\/p>\n

Day 5<\/p>\n

1 Peter 5:8-9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBe alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lack of security<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Fourth cause of influence by peers is\u00a0 Lack of security<\/strong>, where you feel like, I have no future. If I lost this job what would happen to me? That\u2019s lack of security. If I lose this position , if I don\u2019t become a member of parliament next time, what will happen to me. For a\u00a0 lot of politicians, that\u2019s the problem. They use five years to try to earn another five years. So they never accomplish something in the first five years because they were waiting to hear from people they are leading rather than leading them. They are not giving direction, they are\u00a0 followers rather than leaders. They are doing what some in the community say they should do even not beneficial to whole community in the long term, so that they do not lose their votes.\u00a0If the community insists on FGM (female circumcision) then they wonder,\u2019 I know it is bad but what can I do? If they go against it, they will lose in the next election. You are supposed to be leading them, yet they are leading you. It\u2019s important that you clarify, who is leading who . But as long as you you\u2019re your future is insecure you dare not do the right thing<\/p>\n

In the same way if you keep fearing your business will fail unless you behave in away your clients want ,even if you do not believe it is biblically right, then you will not influence them and instead they will influence you.<\/p>\n

In employment the only way you can influence others to do the right thing is when you become ready to loose your job aware that you can still survive after that. You know that if you are fired this will give you even a greater influence because the others see that you really believe in the things you tell them. But you cannot stand your ground if you suffer from insecurity.<\/p>\n

In the\u00a0mafia<\/em> world you influence will come only when you do not fear to die aware that heaven is a good place to go if the Lord chooses not to protect you from the mafia\u2019s gun when you stick with the truth. Again your death will give even a bigger impact as all realize you really believe in what you say enough to die for it.<\/p>\n

I am not suggesting you court death. That will be suicide and the bible condemns it. However if you die for the truth then you will influence many.<\/p>\n

Day 6<\/p>\n

Acts 13:45<\/a><\/strong>
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Scarcity mentality<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another thief of influence is\u00a0 scarcity mentality. It\u2019s a thing that will never allow you to accomplish\u00a0 anything. What do you think scarcity mentality is? The idea of depending on others is part of it . You always don\u2019t feel like you have enough. You always think others have more than you have. Now if you are a beggar, you cannot\u00a0 influence the donor.<\/p>\n

I argue in my Book on leadership\u2026LEADERS SOURCE OF INFLUNCE<\/em>\u2026 that\u00a0 many African pastors are in this category .Some pastors do not\u00a0 rely on the salary they are getting from the board of deacons, they also want\u00a0 gifts from the members. They feel so\u00a0 poor\u00a0 they ask, \u2018how can I say no to such gift even if they end up compromising my decisions? \u2019.I heard of a pastor who said , \u2018you know everything I am wearing\u00a0 here has been given to me by some of you who care .This tie and this shirt, this shoe, everything, I have been given.\u2019 Of course you know what he is telling the rest of the congregation,\u2019 you are the only one who have not given me yet.\u2019 Wherever you hear a pastor start thanking his few benefactors\u00a0 publicly instead of thanking them personally for giving him, he may be telling the ones who have not given, they have been defeated in the game of gaining his favor.<\/p>\n

And you know what happens? You\u00a0 can\u2019t give\u00a0 something, for nothing. When your daughter who is pregnant wants to be married, you will want a proper \u2018holy wedding\u2019, and you want the pastor\u00a0 ignore the fact the she is pregnant before the wedding. (Of course pregnant is not the sin, what happened before the pregnancy is . But you need to understand that some churches have certain rules about it which at times are broken for the rich benefactors).<\/p>\n

What\u00a0 I am trying to say is that if you are dependent on others, and the day comes when you have to make a stand, they may not have to\u00a0 remind you, \u2018do you remember the suit you had the other Sunday?\u2019 .Pay day has come.<\/p>\n

So you have many pastors totally powerless\u2026. they are controlled by the congregation. They are like.. the tail is wagging the dog, rather than the dog wagging the tail.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Day 7<\/p>\n

Daniel 3<\/p>\n

16<\/sup> Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, \u201cKing Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.\u00a017<\/sup> If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c<\/a>]<\/sup> from Your Majesty\u2019s hand.\u00a018<\/sup> But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

This inability to deal with peer pressure is the reason\u00a0 we are graduating crowds of born again believers from our universities , they join industry, you will never hear of their Christian influence again. This message\u00a0 is to change that. Where you are so sure about God\u2019s goodness, you will make your stand even if you lose your job in the process. Aware that God will walk with you into the future. The Christian standards of integrity, will now percolate, not just in Christian organizations, but also in industry. This country has hope if young people, who trust in the Lord, enter into\u00a0 industry,\u00a0 enter into government offices, and stand for Christ. This country will never be the same again. That\u2019s what this message is all about.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-265896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nNovember 7th-13th 2011, if you do not manage peer pressure you will not influence your market place with christian values - John Ng'ang'a<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"November 7th-13th 2011, if you do not manage peer pressure you will not influence your market place with christian values - John Ng'ang'a\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"J. N. N. Ng\u2019ang\u2019a \u2013 Meditations for Nov 7-13th , 2011:\u2026. if you do not manage\u00a0peer pressure you will not influence your market place with Christian values Day 1 Exodus 23:2\u201cDo not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd Peers make the most powerful mob that is difficult to pull out of.For us not to be part of a mob we\u00a0 need to Manage Peer Pressure .We need\u00a0 instead to seek to influence our peers rather succumbing to their\u00a0 influence. And by the way when I say peer pressure, it may be family pressure for peers are not just your age mates. There is a certain expectation by your parents, by your brothers and sisters, that\u00a0 could be\u00a0 causing you to make wrong decisions. That too in my definition is some type of\u00a0 peer pressure. Peer pressure also includes\u00a0 pressure from friends. \u00a0 Day 2 Judges 6:31But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, \u201cAre you going to plead Baal\u2019s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.\u201d Why\u00a0one\u00a0follows\u00a0the peers? \u00a0 Christians are supposed to be strict followers of Jesus and no one else and in that way set examples for all others to follow. Why do born again people not become the example we are describing? Yet am telling you example is the best way of leading or influence our market place. The \u00a0 first cause I think is the\u00a0fear of rejection. At times you feel that you so much want to be accepted by the group, that you do whatever\u00a0 the group will approve, isn\u2019t it? However,\u00a0you cannot be a Christian and seek people\u2019s approval. Whose approval should\u00a0 you seek? God\u2019s approval. There are various opportunities where you know if you do it a certain way, everybody will agree with it, and you will benefit. This way\u00a0 you do not have to fight. Nobody enjoys fighting with people, nobody enjoys a hostile atmosphere. So you behave in a way that will remove this hostile atmosphere. But I want to tell you that fear of rejection, need for acceptance, can cause you not to be a good example. Day 3 Job 31:34\u2026\u2026because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside\u2014 Secondly ,why we follow the peers is ,lack of being sure of who you are and therefore\u00a0\u00a0allowing others to define you. You like when\u00a0 people say to you,\u2019 oooh! You are such a wonderful girl\u2019.That\u2019s what people want to hear. Now, do you know who you are? You know some people wake up not knowing who they are, they are waiting for others to tell them\u00a0 who they are. I want to tell you, If you don\u2019t know who you are, others will tell you who you are. In such a case\u00a0 you are not a leader. You cannot influence others, if you are seeking the same people you are trying to influence, to be the ones to tell you who you are. If you are to have an influence in the market place ,it will be critical that you know who you are very\u00a0 clearly. Like, if you wear your suit, wear it properly, go to a mirror look at yourself, be happy with yourself. When you go there, and they say, what an ugly suit, that\u2019s their business. It will not affect your day. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You looked at yourself in the mirror and you liked yourself. Did you read the stories of \u201cAbunwasi\u201d in primary school? There is a guy who started by being carried by a donkey, then finally he was told he is wrong and ended\u00a0 carrying the donkey instead . That\u2019s what happens to a person who is not sure of himself .He is without influence. If you allow other people to start defining you, you will stop being carried by the donkey, you will start carrying the donkey. Its important that you make a decision, I want to find out from God, who am I? He created you a purpose and so knows really who are or who you ought to be. Once you are sure who you are, it will give you the moral courage, the confidence, to be able to do what God wants you to accomplish.\u00a0 People will confuse you and you will not reach that purpose. I have discovered that unfortunately ,it is like people have a ministry of discouragement. Have you ever heard of that ministry? Whatever you try to do, they feel like they are anointed to discourage you from doing it . It\u2019s very important to understand that if you don\u2019t know who you are, and you don\u2019t get your encouragement from God, chances are, you will never influence others..they will influence you . You cannot be an example. Day 4 Mark 8:38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father\u2019s glory with the holy angels.\u201d \u00a0 self doubt the second cause of succumbing to peer pressure is related to my third one,\u00a0self doubt. \u2018Are you sure?\u2019, they ask. Then you feel like changing your decision. If your decision is well thought out , well researched, you asked all you thought know the subject better than you before you made your decision, then you should stick with it. People don\u2019t want to follow someone who is not sure of what they are saying. Am not suggesting that whatever comes out of your mouth, you expect people to follow. What am saying is, be careful what you say with your mouth. Research your facts , consult others\u2026.and once you are sure about them, talk. All of the research\u00a0 is done in the background. It means that you have the idea of what God has given you, you have researched on it, you have even tested it on people, (we call it \u201cyou have piloted the idea\u201d), once you are now sure you have heard from God, now go before them without doubt. You are likely to influence them..even if they initially try to put doubts in you. Once you have a truck record of coming up with good ideas then people will tend to be influenced by your ideas both in the professional area but even in their personal lives. Day 5 1 Peter 5:8-9 \u201cBe alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.\u201d Lack of security The Fourth cause of influence by peers is\u00a0 Lack of security, where you feel like, I have no future. If I lost this job what would happen to me? That\u2019s lack of security. If I lose this position , if I don\u2019t become a member of parliament next time, what will happen to me. For a\u00a0 lot of politicians, that\u2019s the problem. They use five years to try to earn another five years. So they never accomplish something in the first five years because they were waiting to hear from people they are leading rather than leading them. They are not giving direction, they are\u00a0 followers rather than leaders. They are doing what some in the community say they should do even not beneficial to whole community in the long term, so that they do not lose their votes.\u00a0If the community insists on FGM (female circumcision) then they wonder,\u2019 I know it is bad but what can I do? If they go against it, they will lose in the next election. You are supposed to be leading them, yet they are leading you. It\u2019s important that you clarify, who is leading who . But as long as you you\u2019re your future is insecure you dare not do the right thing In the same way if you keep fearing your business will fail unless you behave in away your clients want ,even if you do not believe it is biblically right, then you will not influence them and instead they will influence you. In employment the only way you can influence others to do the right thing is when you become ready to loose your job aware that you can still survive after that. You know that if you are fired this will give you even a greater influence because the others see that you really believe in the things you tell them. But you cannot stand your ground if you suffer from insecurity. In the\u00a0mafia world you influence will come only when you do not fear to die aware that heaven is a good place to go if the Lord chooses not to protect you from the mafia\u2019s gun when you stick with the truth. Again your death will give even a bigger impact as all realize you really believe in what you say enough to die for it. I am not suggesting you court death. That will be suicide and the bible condemns it. However if you die for the truth then you will influence many. Day 6 Acts 13:45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him Scarcity mentality Another thief of influence is\u00a0 scarcity mentality. It\u2019s a thing that will never allow you to accomplish\u00a0 anything. What do you think scarcity mentality is? The idea of depending on others is part of it . You always don\u2019t feel like you have enough. You always think others have more than you have. Now if you are a beggar, you cannot\u00a0 influence the donor. I argue in my Book on leadership\u2026LEADERS SOURCE OF INFLUNCE\u2026 that\u00a0 many African pastors are in this category .Some pastors do not\u00a0 rely on the salary they are getting from the board of deacons, they also want\u00a0 gifts from the members. They feel so\u00a0 poor\u00a0 they ask, \u2018how can I say no to such gift even if they end up compromising my decisions? \u2019.I heard of a pastor who said , \u2018you know everything I am wearing\u00a0 here has been given to me by some of you who care .This tie and this shirt, this shoe, everything, I have been given.\u2019 Of course you know what he is telling the rest of the congregation,\u2019 you are the only one who have not given me yet.\u2019 Wherever you hear a pastor start thanking his few benefactors\u00a0 publicly instead of thanking them personally for giving him, he may be telling the ones who have not given, they have been defeated in the game of gaining his favor. And you know what happens? You\u00a0 can\u2019t give\u00a0 something, for nothing. When your daughter who is pregnant wants to be married, you will want a proper \u2018holy wedding\u2019, and you want the pastor\u00a0 ignore the fact the she is pregnant before the wedding. (Of course pregnant is not the sin, what happened before the pregnancy is . But you need to understand that some churches have certain rules about it which at times are broken for the rich benefactors). What\u00a0 I am trying to say is that if you are dependent on others, and the day comes when you have to make a stand, they may not have to\u00a0 remind you, \u2018do you remember the suit you had the other Sunday?\u2019 .Pay day has come. So you have many pastors totally powerless\u2026. they are controlled by the congregation. They are like.. the tail is wagging the dog, rather than the dog wagging the tail. \u00a0 Day 7 Daniel 3 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, \u201cKing Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.\u00a017 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty\u2019s hand.\u00a018 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.\u201d \u00a0 This inability to deal with peer pressure is the reason\u00a0 we are graduating crowds of born again believers from our universities , they join industry, you will never hear of their Christian influence again. This message\u00a0 is to change that. Where you are so sure about God\u2019s goodness, you will make your stand even if you lose your job in the process. Aware that God will walk with you into the future. The Christian standards of integrity, will now percolate, not just in Christian organizations, but also in industry. This country has hope if young people, who trust in the Lord, enter into\u00a0 industry,\u00a0 enter into government offices, and stand for Christ. This country will never be the same again. That\u2019s what this message is all about.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"John Ng'ang'a\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-10-26T04:40:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"johnad\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"johnad\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/webfocuskenya.com\\\/jnnn\\\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/webfocuskenya.com\\\/jnnn\\\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"johnad\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/webfocuskenya.com\\\/jnnn\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/60d2ddd8c3ee6ab5a4a456022a7c540b\"},\"headline\":\"November 7th-13th 2011, if you do not manage peer pressure you will not influence your market place with christian values\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-10-26T04:40:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/webfocuskenya.com\\\/jnnn\\\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":20,\"commentCount\":0,\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/webfocuskenya.com\\\/jnnn\\\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/webfocuskenya.com\\\/jnnn\\\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/webfocuskenya.com\\\/jnnn\\\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\\\/\",\"name\":\"November 7th-13th 2011, if you do not manage peer pressure you will not influence your market place with christian values - 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N. N. Ng\u2019ang\u2019a \u2013 Meditations for Nov 7-13th , 2011:\u2026. if you do not manage\u00a0peer pressure you will not influence your market place with Christian values Day 1 Exodus 23:2\u201cDo not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd Peers make the most powerful mob that is difficult to pull out of.For us not to be part of a mob we\u00a0 need to Manage Peer Pressure .We need\u00a0 instead to seek to influence our peers rather succumbing to their\u00a0 influence. And by the way when I say peer pressure, it may be family pressure for peers are not just your age mates. There is a certain expectation by your parents, by your brothers and sisters, that\u00a0 could be\u00a0 causing you to make wrong decisions. That too in my definition is some type of\u00a0 peer pressure. Peer pressure also includes\u00a0 pressure from friends. \u00a0 Day 2 Judges 6:31But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, \u201cAre you going to plead Baal\u2019s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.\u201d Why\u00a0one\u00a0follows\u00a0the peers? \u00a0 Christians are supposed to be strict followers of Jesus and no one else and in that way set examples for all others to follow. Why do born again people not become the example we are describing? Yet am telling you example is the best way of leading or influence our market place. The \u00a0 first cause I think is the\u00a0fear of rejection. At times you feel that you so much want to be accepted by the group, that you do whatever\u00a0 the group will approve, isn\u2019t it? However,\u00a0you cannot be a Christian and seek people\u2019s approval. Whose approval should\u00a0 you seek? God\u2019s approval. There are various opportunities where you know if you do it a certain way, everybody will agree with it, and you will benefit. This way\u00a0 you do not have to fight. Nobody enjoys fighting with people, nobody enjoys a hostile atmosphere. So you behave in a way that will remove this hostile atmosphere. But I want to tell you that fear of rejection, need for acceptance, can cause you not to be a good example. Day 3 Job 31:34\u2026\u2026because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside\u2014 Secondly ,why we follow the peers is ,lack of being sure of who you are and therefore\u00a0\u00a0allowing others to define you. You like when\u00a0 people say to you,\u2019 oooh! You are such a wonderful girl\u2019.That\u2019s what people want to hear. Now, do you know who you are? You know some people wake up not knowing who they are, they are waiting for others to tell them\u00a0 who they are. I want to tell you, If you don\u2019t know who you are, others will tell you who you are. In such a case\u00a0 you are not a leader. You cannot influence others, if you are seeking the same people you are trying to influence, to be the ones to tell you who you are. If you are to have an influence in the market place ,it will be critical that you know who you are very\u00a0 clearly. Like, if you wear your suit, wear it properly, go to a mirror look at yourself, be happy with yourself. When you go there, and they say, what an ugly suit, that\u2019s their business. It will not affect your day. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You looked at yourself in the mirror and you liked yourself. Did you read the stories of \u201cAbunwasi\u201d in primary school? There is a guy who started by being carried by a donkey, then finally he was told he is wrong and ended\u00a0 carrying the donkey instead . That\u2019s what happens to a person who is not sure of himself .He is without influence. If you allow other people to start defining you, you will stop being carried by the donkey, you will start carrying the donkey. Its important that you make a decision, I want to find out from God, who am I? He created you a purpose and so knows really who are or who you ought to be. Once you are sure who you are, it will give you the moral courage, the confidence, to be able to do what God wants you to accomplish.\u00a0 People will confuse you and you will not reach that purpose. I have discovered that unfortunately ,it is like people have a ministry of discouragement. Have you ever heard of that ministry? Whatever you try to do, they feel like they are anointed to discourage you from doing it . It\u2019s very important to understand that if you don\u2019t know who you are, and you don\u2019t get your encouragement from God, chances are, you will never influence others..they will influence you . You cannot be an example. Day 4 Mark 8:38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father\u2019s glory with the holy angels.\u201d \u00a0 self doubt the second cause of succumbing to peer pressure is related to my third one,\u00a0self doubt. \u2018Are you sure?\u2019, they ask. Then you feel like changing your decision. If your decision is well thought out , well researched, you asked all you thought know the subject better than you before you made your decision, then you should stick with it. People don\u2019t want to follow someone who is not sure of what they are saying. Am not suggesting that whatever comes out of your mouth, you expect people to follow. What am saying is, be careful what you say with your mouth. Research your facts , consult others\u2026.and once you are sure about them, talk. All of the research\u00a0 is done in the background. It means that you have the idea of what God has given you, you have researched on it, you have even tested it on people, (we call it \u201cyou have piloted the idea\u201d), once you are now sure you have heard from God, now go before them without doubt. You are likely to influence them..even if they initially try to put doubts in you. Once you have a truck record of coming up with good ideas then people will tend to be influenced by your ideas both in the professional area but even in their personal lives. Day 5 1 Peter 5:8-9 \u201cBe alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.\u201d Lack of security The Fourth cause of influence by peers is\u00a0 Lack of security, where you feel like, I have no future. If I lost this job what would happen to me? That\u2019s lack of security. If I lose this position , if I don\u2019t become a member of parliament next time, what will happen to me. For a\u00a0 lot of politicians, that\u2019s the problem. They use five years to try to earn another five years. So they never accomplish something in the first five years because they were waiting to hear from people they are leading rather than leading them. They are not giving direction, they are\u00a0 followers rather than leaders. They are doing what some in the community say they should do even not beneficial to whole community in the long term, so that they do not lose their votes.\u00a0If the community insists on FGM (female circumcision) then they wonder,\u2019 I know it is bad but what can I do? If they go against it, they will lose in the next election. You are supposed to be leading them, yet they are leading you. It\u2019s important that you clarify, who is leading who . But as long as you you\u2019re your future is insecure you dare not do the right thing In the same way if you keep fearing your business will fail unless you behave in away your clients want ,even if you do not believe it is biblically right, then you will not influence them and instead they will influence you. In employment the only way you can influence others to do the right thing is when you become ready to loose your job aware that you can still survive after that. You know that if you are fired this will give you even a greater influence because the others see that you really believe in the things you tell them. But you cannot stand your ground if you suffer from insecurity. In the\u00a0mafia world you influence will come only when you do not fear to die aware that heaven is a good place to go if the Lord chooses not to protect you from the mafia\u2019s gun when you stick with the truth. Again your death will give even a bigger impact as all realize you really believe in what you say enough to die for it. I am not suggesting you court death. That will be suicide and the bible condemns it. However if you die for the truth then you will influence many. Day 6 Acts 13:45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him Scarcity mentality Another thief of influence is\u00a0 scarcity mentality. It\u2019s a thing that will never allow you to accomplish\u00a0 anything. What do you think scarcity mentality is? The idea of depending on others is part of it . You always don\u2019t feel like you have enough. You always think others have more than you have. Now if you are a beggar, you cannot\u00a0 influence the donor. I argue in my Book on leadership\u2026LEADERS SOURCE OF INFLUNCE\u2026 that\u00a0 many African pastors are in this category .Some pastors do not\u00a0 rely on the salary they are getting from the board of deacons, they also want\u00a0 gifts from the members. They feel so\u00a0 poor\u00a0 they ask, \u2018how can I say no to such gift even if they end up compromising my decisions? \u2019.I heard of a pastor who said , \u2018you know everything I am wearing\u00a0 here has been given to me by some of you who care .This tie and this shirt, this shoe, everything, I have been given.\u2019 Of course you know what he is telling the rest of the congregation,\u2019 you are the only one who have not given me yet.\u2019 Wherever you hear a pastor start thanking his few benefactors\u00a0 publicly instead of thanking them personally for giving him, he may be telling the ones who have not given, they have been defeated in the game of gaining his favor. And you know what happens? You\u00a0 can\u2019t give\u00a0 something, for nothing. When your daughter who is pregnant wants to be married, you will want a proper \u2018holy wedding\u2019, and you want the pastor\u00a0 ignore the fact the she is pregnant before the wedding. (Of course pregnant is not the sin, what happened before the pregnancy is . But you need to understand that some churches have certain rules about it which at times are broken for the rich benefactors). What\u00a0 I am trying to say is that if you are dependent on others, and the day comes when you have to make a stand, they may not have to\u00a0 remind you, \u2018do you remember the suit you had the other Sunday?\u2019 .Pay day has come. So you have many pastors totally powerless\u2026. they are controlled by the congregation. They are like.. the tail is wagging the dog, rather than the dog wagging the tail. \u00a0 Day 7 Daniel 3 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, \u201cKing Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.\u00a017 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty\u2019s hand.\u00a018 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.\u201d \u00a0 This inability to deal with peer pressure is the reason\u00a0 we are graduating crowds of born again believers from our universities , they join industry, you will never hear of their Christian influence again. This message\u00a0 is to change that. Where you are so sure about God\u2019s goodness, you will make your stand even if you lose your job in the process. Aware that God will walk with you into the future. The Christian standards of integrity, will now percolate, not just in Christian organizations, but also in industry. This country has hope if young people, who trust in the Lord, enter into\u00a0 industry,\u00a0 enter into government offices, and stand for Christ. This country will never be the same again. That\u2019s what this message is all about.","og_url":"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/","og_site_name":"John Ng'ang'a","article_published_time":"2016-10-26T04:40:52+00:00","author":"johnad","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"johnad"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/"},"author":{"name":"johnad","@id":"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/#\/schema\/person\/60d2ddd8c3ee6ab5a4a456022a7c540b"},"headline":"November 7th-13th 2011, if you do not manage peer pressure you will not influence your market place with christian values","datePublished":"2016-10-26T04:40:52+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/"},"wordCount":20,"commentCount":0,"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/","url":"https:\/\/webfocuskenya.com\/jnnn\/november-7th-13th-2011-if-you-do-not-manage-peer-pressure-you-will-not-influence-your-market-place-with-christian-values\/","name":"November 7th-13th 2011, if you do not manage peer pressure you will not influence your market place with christian values - 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