Peer Influence

Practice God’s law—get a reputation for wisdom; hang out with a loose crowd—embarrass your family. Proverbs 28:7

Peer Influence
By Rev. William Dohle

I had a friend in elementary school who I had much in common with.
We had the same likes, went to the same church, played the same games.
He would come and hang out at my house. I would hang out at his.
We had sleepovers together and rode our bikes together.
Even after we got into a fight, we remained friends.
And best of all, I thought, we were going to the same high school.

But there's where we parted.

Once we were in high school my friend started hanging out with one crowd of kids. I another.
I found the Mormon kids to be my best friends. The band my second family.
He hung out with a different crowd.
I took one set of classes. He took another.
By the end of high school, we still said hello to each other...but very little beyond that.
He went one way. I went another.

Why did my friendship with him break away?

For no other reason than because of peers.

He hung out with one group of kids. I hung out with another.

You see... our peers influence us!

Sometimes for good. Our peers can lift us up. They can make us be better people that we would be without them. They can become our lifelong friends. My friends certainly did that. I didn't get into drinking or drugs because none of them were into that. The featured drink at our parties?? Shasta! (No joke).

Sometimes our friends lift us up... But sometimes they work against us too.
Sometimes they influence us to do the wrong thing and become the type of person we shouldn't be.
Sometimes they give us bad advice and sway us away from what we should be doing.

That's what happened to the people of Israel at least just outside the Promised Land.

It says in the book of Numbers...

"While Israel was staying at Shittim, the people began to have sexual relations with the women of Moab.   These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.  Thus Israel yoked itself to the Baal of Peor, and the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel." (Numbers 25:1-3)

The people of Israel on their way through Moab, start cavorting with the Moabite women. They in turn invite Israel to meet their gods and the Israelites accept the invitation. Only, instead of witnessing to their own God, they bowed down to the Moabite gods.

What is the Bible saying here? What it says throughout its pages...
Be careful you you're yoked to!

This applies to the people we hang out with, the ones who "invite us" places.
But it also applies to the ones we marry. The ones we are physically yoked with.

Be careful you don't get influenced by them.

Now before we think we should lock ourselves away and only talk to, hang out with, and associate only with Christians and people just like us, let's be clear here. This story illustrates the reality that come with associating with others. You will be changed. Open yourself up to others and they will change your life.

Sometimes that change is bad. But sometimes its good. Opening yourself up to your neighbor you might discover a whole new world waiting you on the other side. You might discover that your neighbor is human and just like you. Or you might discover the differences you have. You might find ways that they can help you, but more importantly, you might find ways you can love them.

The ancient Moabites were seen as Israel's enemy here...but later God turns the world around when a Moabite woman, Ruth, becomes the grandmother of King David himself(and the great-great-great grandmother of Jesus too!)

So know yourself. Know who you are and who you worship. Be confident in your own identity. Then you can accept the invitation of the Moabites around you, loving them as Jesus would, without bowing down to their gods and idols.

God, you call us into a world filled with people different from us. Assure us of your grace. Ground us in our faith that we might love them without falling away from you. Amen.

Speaking Thru Anything

But Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me." Numbers 22:34

God: Speakin' Through Anything!
By Rev. William Dohle

Have you ever been driving in your car when a song comes on the radio that speaks directly to the situation you were thinking about?

Or you pass by a sign that seems to shout out your name?

Or a person calls who you really needed to speak to?

I have! More times than I can count!

I can't tell you how often I've been thinking or praying or talking outloud to God or myself when I hear something on the radio. I turn it up and the song's lyrics hit me in the gut. I try to get myself home, teary eyed, cause I know that God spoke to me then. Not by some almighty word from on high, but through the lyrics of a simple song.

That's how God works. And that's how God speaks. God can speak literally through anyone and anything. And he does it all the time.

One of the most humorous examples of this is found in the book of Numbers. The story is named by the event. We call it "Balaam's Donkey" and it marks the time when God spoke out of the mouth of a donkey.

Balaam, the prophet, was on his way to do Balak, King of Midian's bidding. He was going to curse the people of Israel for him. Despite being told that God can't curse a people he blesses, Balak still insists on sending Balaam to try anyway.

Balaam obeys his king and goes to curse them. Only God sends an angel to stand in his way.

Balaam is so distracted, though, he can't see what is right in front of his eyes. His donkey sees the angel, however.

"When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with the staff."

The donkey was trying to alert Balaam that God was standing in his way. But Balaam doesn't see it and blames the donkey instead. So God does what God does. He opens the mouth of the donkey.

"Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me! I wish i had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!" But the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way?" And he said, "No."(22:28-30)

Notice that Balaam didn't recognize God's voice even when the donkey started speaking to him! It's only when God opens the eyes of Balaam and he sees the angel standing there that he recognizes that it was God. Then the angel says: "The donkey saw me, and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let it live."(22:33)

How often have we failed to recognize God's voice in the people around us? Probably more than we even know about. How often have we been so busy with our own lives that we fail to stop and appreciate the lives God has surrounded us with? How often have those people saved our skins? How often have they been truly sent from God?

We pray for open ears, open eyes, and open hearts for this reason. God is good and God surrounds us with good reminders of God's love. But we so easily get distracted. So we pray for openness. Open eyes to see the messengers of God for who they are. Open ears that we may hear the message they have to share with us. And open hearts that we might take what God is telling and showing us through them and learn from it.

Gracious God, open us up to your Word spoken all around us that we might see, hear, and experience the love you have prepared for us today. Amen.