Valued

virtues
Strength from the Inside
Peer pressure is when members of your peer group
influence you, either in a positive or a negative way.

Negative peer Its usually easier to refuse being

pressure is when the
influence is hurtful
pushed into doing something
to you or others. obviously dangerous or illegal.

Cmon, Cedric No one will

... at least give find out.
it a try.

No thanks.
Its against the
law and bad for
your health

Cool, Ced.
Tatters
However, there This could be Matter
can be simpler, the new you!
less serious
situations when
others may
want you to
conform to a Yah. Its
the latest
behaviour or an look!
attitude you do
not agree with.

You may go along with it because you want your peers to like you, but you could find
yourself with an uncomfortable feeling in your gut, and wish you had the strength and
conviction to resist it and stand firm.
You can also recognize negative peer pressure if you find yourself worried about others
opinions, and it discourages you from taking positive steps toward your goals, such as a
hobby or an interest.

This is beautiful! I love to

Ye never told me ye write it as
liked poetry. well.

Heh!
Uh oh Heh!

I know, Moira.
Thats why I
n-nothing.

Do ye write S-sort of
poetry too? I like to.

Hey, ye should
join our
poetry interest
group.

Whatcha readin? What?

Heh! Heh!
Romantic
Heh! Heh! Poetry?

Umm
n-nothing.

Thats
so
sissy!

In such an instance, you might wish you had the inner strength
so that it wouldnt matter how others perceived you.
 Cedric had written a short poem as part of an English Literature assignment. It was good.
After class, I informed him of the poetry circle that meets once a week in the library. Cedric
knew about it and was interested, but mentioned that only girls belonged to it. He was
concerned what his schoolmates would think.

So, how do you find that inner

strength needed in such a situation?
Inner strength
comes from having or what you know is
confidence that what good for you, is more
you believe in... important than what
others think about you.

Heh! Heh!

Inner strength and

determination come from Lord, I know you
listening to that inner Avoid burying have given me this
voice that encourages you your talents. talent. Help me not to
mmm... be afraid to use it.
in the right way. It is being
willing to make the harder
choice now because you
know it will be the better
choice in the long run.

You are Gods child.

He loves you. You mean
something to Him, and
He cares for you.

If there is something you want to pursue that will help you build a skill or influence your life
positively, then you can rely on Gods power to give you that inner strength to do what is
right and good for you.
God can also give you that inner strength to refrain from doing something
you dont agree with or that is wrong, even when others are doing it.

How about
asking Cedric?

Nah! Dont bother.

Hell never go
along with it.

Besides, seems
hes off to that
dorky poetry club
meeting, so he is.
All you have to do is
listen to that inner
voice and follow.

After all, lots o the

So glad ye We needed a boy great Irish poets
joined us, in our group, were men, so they
Cedric. so we did. were!

Aye!

W. B. Yeats
 What you can do:
When a peer wants you to do something you dont quite feel right about, or if
there is something youd like to do thats good for youbut you are worried
about what others may thinkconfer with trusted and mature friends or adults;
their support will help you to withstand the intimidation.

Above all, ask God for His confidence, and be still and listen to His gentle
whisper1 inside your heart. It will give you the inner strength to move forward
despite what others may say.

What the Bible says:

In quietness and in
confidence shall be your
strength Isaiah 30:15.

Quote:

Our confidence in Christ does not make

us lazy, negligent or careless, but on
the contrary it awakens us, urges us on,
and makes us active in living righteous
lives and doing good. There is no self-
confidence to compare with this.

Ulrich Zwingli

1
1 Kings 19:12 NLT

Authored by Caithleen. Illustrated and designed by Jeremy.

Published by My Wonder Studio. Copyright 2017 by The Family International