Question:
With today’s peer pressures that teenagers put on themselves. I have been explaining to My Daughter Why It Is Important To Give Your Troubles to GOD. Let GOD have the (REVENGE). I would Like A List Of Scriptures for Reference on GODS Protection and (REVENGE). THANK YOU !!!!!
Answer:
First, teenagers do not always put peer pressure upon themselves. Sometimes, they would rather be elsewhere than with that crowd. As parents, we need to teach them and lead them in the right way. That means that we should teach them to NOT be around certain crowds. Proverbs 13:19-21 says, “The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.”
The crowd that puts pressure upon us to do wrong is the crowd in which we should not be found. The crowd that mocks us for doing right, is the crowd around which we should not spend a lot of time. The Bible tells us how to escape such temptation in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Many people know about I Corinthians 10:13, which says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” That is wonderful to know that the Lord can deliver us from any situation, no matter how bad it looks for us.
But many temptations would never have to be endured, if we would but pray like we ought to pray. In Matthew 26, we find that Jesus is praying in great agony, because He knows what is coming very shortly. Verses 36-41 say, “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Jesus was praying, because He knew what was coming. The disciples, on the other hand, were very tired and sleepy, and did not know what was coming. Jesus comes and finds the disciples sleeping, and says, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” How true that is! The spirit is willing, but it is our flesh that is so weak.
It is not uncommon to see young people on fire for the Lord after they are moved by a message from God’s Word. They are ready to go and be missionaries around the world, and to sacrifice all for Jesus’ sake. But they are just like Peter (and all of us), who boasted earlier that evening (Matthew 26:31-35 says, “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.”). But that very night, he would deny the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 26:69-75 says, “Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.”
How many young people and Christians of all ages have found themselves in the same heart-rending situation? One minute, the spirit was ready and willing to do anything for the Lord, but within a matter of hours (or even minutes), the flesh had been soundly defeated. Peter’s problem was that he had not prayed. He had boasted that he would do this or that for the Lord, but in his own strength (the strength of the flesh), he was weak (just like all of us). John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING.” It is only through Christ that we can stand. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST which strengtheneth me.” Ephesians 6:10-13 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Psalm 1 reminds us, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
Many, many Scriptures show us that we should not be walking with the scornful crowd. When we are feeling peer pressure to do the wrong things, or they are mocking us for doing the right things, then that should be a warning to us that we are walking with the wrong crowd.
There are times when people will mock or persecute us — people around which we have not purposefully chosen to be. In times like that, we can find refuge and comfort in the Lord. Romans 12:17-21 says, “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
No matter how much someone mistreats or mocks us, we must remember that he/she is a soul for whom Christ died. We would do well to remember the apostle Paul before he got saved. Sometimes those who fight the hardest AGAINST the faith before they are saved, are the ones who fight the hardest FOR the faith once they are saved. In the meantime, we need to be faithful serving the Lord. I Corinthians 15:57,58 says, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Psalm 27:11-14 says, “Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”