The Peer Pressure Sandwich

TheDiscipleMD

I don’t know why I should have been so reticent to go back into the convenience store and say I made a mistake…but I was! I guess no matter how old you get you never get over your desire to not look foolish! It was an innocent mistake, yet one I wasn’t willing to correct. The price of embarrassment was too high so I burned out of the parking lot as if I had just robbed the place. I passed a police car who was pulling into the establishment as I sped away! Did he see me or did I make a clean getaway! As I drove away I laughed at my own foolishness and thought that, even at my age, I am still subject to wanting to be accepted.

15 minutes earlier I stopped at the local convenience store to get a sandwich for lunch. I gave my order at the deli counter for a common turkey sub with lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese and mustard. I continued around the store picking up chips and a drink, then paid for my meal at the check out. I walked back over to the deli, heard my number called, picked up the sandwich and walked out to the car. As I was rather hungry I immediately unwrapped my sub and took a big bite out of it. Yikes! As soon as my taste buds got a hold of what I had subjected them too they were screaming out to me, “STOP!” I looked down at the sub sandwich, opened it up and discovered all kinds of things on it that were not supposed to be there. Pickles, jalapeno, and cucumbers! Combine that with horseradish sauce and you got yourself quite a combo of sensual delights. The meat wasn’t even the same. It was ham. My initial reaction was one of condemnation of the deli guy. How could he be so inept? I wrapped the offensive sub back up and was about to go back in and express my dissatisfaction with the service when I spied the number taped to the wrapper. It matched the number I “thought” I was given by the machine, but it didn’t match the number I had on my receipt. It was clear I had made a mistake and had taken another man’s sandwich! I looked down at the partially eaten sub. How was I going to bring back a sub with a bite out of it? I looked at the doors of the store. Was the real “owner” of the sub going to come bursting out of those doors looking for me? What would I say if he came up to the car and said, “Excuse me, I think you got the wrong sub.” Would I hand him the half eaten sub and say, “Sorry about that”. What if he got mad? What then? I panicked. I quickly put my keys into the ignition. You know “the rest of the story”.

I’m amazed at how timid we can become when faced with an uncomfortable situation. I once heard a serial killer being interviewed on television.  I will never forget something he said.  He explained that he was able to get into most homes simply because people were so nice that they would let him in under the premise of a flat tire or some other ruse. He said, “Even though they feel that they shouldn’t, it’s too uncomfortable for them to say “No”, so against their better judgment, they let me in.” Listening to him said something about the natural goodness of many people but also the willingness of those of lesser character to exploit it. Pressure to do things against our better judgment is a constant battle. All of us want to be liked and don’t want to be embarrassed in front of others. For that reason we occasionally cave to “peer pressure” and do things that we know are not right. Teenagers are often reminded to “stand up” against it, but as adults, we are often just as susceptible to our peers as our youth. Perhaps you remember this account on peer pressure as recorded in the scriptures. The account is very familiar to us all but seldom do we think about it being a referendum on peer pressure.

“Then took they him, and led him (Jesus)… into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And…another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him… And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22: 54:62)

Peter found out what it was like to make decisions based upon “peer pressure”. He “wept bitterly” over it.  Let us remember to stand up for what is right at all times and in all places.  Often, if we bow to peer pressure, we will end up having to eat something in this life that  we didn’t order.

Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Comments are closed.

Designed by ThemePix