Don't Join the Pack

When I ride my bike I usually go out alone. Part of the reason is schedule. It's easier to go out on my own than to look for someone who can ride at the same time. Primarily, however, I normally don't join in group rides because then I have to ride at their pace, and that is frequently a quicker pace than I would take on my own, since I am often the oldest rider in the group. One time since I've moved to Texas another cyclist who is on the same website on which I log my own rides contacted me for a ride. We went out together and I had to struggle for the next two hours to keep up. Group rides are often like this. They turn into what cyclists call "hammerfests" as everyone tries to show how fast they are and the whole group suffers along out of pride.

Of course, there is the danger of the "pack mentality" or "group think" in almost every human situation. It's easy to get caught up in and go along with whatever a crowd of people might be doing. I remember when I was a kid and a group of boys would dare someone to do something foolish. One dare probably wouldn't do it, but a whole group egging on the individual would generally get the job done, and usually with disastrous results for that person.

In Revelation 18:4-5 we hear a warning against joining the "pack." There John warns against the wicked city called Babylon, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.” (Revelation 18:4-5) In a similar vein Proverbs 23:20 warns: "Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat." And Proverbs 24:21 cautions: "Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious."

It's important to watch what company we keep. "Bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33) The influence of others can be strong, especially when we as God's people are in the minority. So just as I might ride harder than I should in a group ride just to keep up, so too, we as God's people might condone or even participate in evils that we would otherwise condemn, if we are influenced too strongly by the larger group.

If we don't separate ourselves from the sinful society that opposes God will, then we can find ourselves dragged down by it, and in the end experience the same plagues of judgment that our sinful, unbelieving neighbors endure. So when you think about what to do for entertainment, or where to go for relaxation, or what to watch or listen to for liesure time, think about this danger of the "pack mentality". Remember this warning, "Come out of her, my people" and steer clear of those groups or situations that might influence you to sin.