Have you ever been told it's okay to just "borrow" an item from a retail store? Or encouraged to graffiti someone's car or property because they offended your friends—or just because it would be fun? "Come on. Just bring some eggs and toilet paper, and this will be the sweetest Halloween ever!" Have you gotten in trouble for breaking your curfew because you stayed at a friend's house for just 20 minutes longer than you were supposed to?

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt pressures from my peers, even from people who aren't my friends. Someone doesn't necessarily have to know who you are in order to have an influence on what you do, what you say, what you eat, what you wear, and more.

Growing up, I was always tempted to let my peers decide if I wore the latest trends, snuck out to watch a movie with my friends, or took the car when my parents were out. An important thing I've learned over time is that dangerous things can happen when we let others make our decisions, when we allow peer pressure to rule our actions. And—when I knew my own popularity and what others thought of me might be decided by my decisions—I tried to think about how someone who really trusted in God and lived by Jesus' message would act.

After all, whom do I really have to answer to in the end when pressured by life's temptations? Were those same friends—or strangers—really going to be there for me if I sprayed the graffiti and got caught, or if I "borrowed" an item from a store and got caught? Instead, I think about who is really going to be there for and with me.