Mob Mentality

Mob mentality is allowing the “crowd” to dominate and modulate your behavior. They are the group of people who say, "Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse” (Proverbs 1:14). God’s word has already designated our answer, “My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path" (Proverbs 1: 14,15).

The mob mentality is seen when an afflicted child is at recess and another child that other children look up to, begins to tease and make fun of the afflicted child. Before you know it, other children are joining in the taunting. This is continued even though the child is reduced to tears and receives utter rejection over which something the innocent child had no control.

Ron Haviv wrote a book entitled Blood and Honey, a book about the revolts in former Yugoslavia. The name is based on the word “Balkan.” “Bal” is the word for “blood” and “kan” is the word for honey. Truly this area of the world has been full of the blessings of honey yet the burden of blood. Haviv tells of seeing Serbian soldiers drive a Croatian man and his wife from their home. As they pointed their weapons at the man, his wife pleaded for his life. Two shots were fired, down came the man. The loving wife tenderly placed her hand in the hand of her dying husband, while she attempted to stop the bleeding with the other hand. Haviv turned his back and heard two more shots ring out and when he turned around, he saw the dying form of the woman lying next to her husband. After they discovered Haviv had taken pictures of their atrocity, they scornfully and threateningly looked at him. Already thirty journalists had been killed. Haviv thought quickly as he smiled at them and said, “Great, let’s go!” Upon seeing what they believed was his approval or shall we say his feigned “mob mentality,” they spared his life only to bring him along for further crimes against humanity.

Josh Billings said, “All it takes for tyranny to rule is for good men to do nothing.” As Christians, we need to always consider that Christ constantly injected His utter detestation for the “mob mentality.” He did so when he said, "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?" (Luke 9:23-25). Think of these penetrating words of Jesus, “…and lose himself…”. How sad that person who is caught up in mob mentality that wishes to gain the world can actually lose himself!
How can we refuse to get sucked into the “mob mentality”?

I. Have a definite set of non-negotiable values that you will not compromise.

"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not” (Proverbs 1:10). Let your values be determined by biblical principle and your walk with the Lord in the secret place. If you live in the secret place (Psalm 91) you will not be moved out of bounds by public acclaim or disapproval.

II. Ask yourself, “How would I behave if there was no one to put pressure on me?”

I am convinced that many a person would and could be very nice to most everyone, if they did not think that acting unkind would receive approval from the crowd. Listen to the way Solomon says the mob will try to pressure you, by telling you how much you will gain by doing so: "If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse” (Proverbs 1:11-14). God, as a rule, doesn’t talk to you in the earshot of other people. The great prophet, Elijah who knew what it was to have God answer by fire, discovered that his personal message from God to him came not in the form of dynamic elements around him, but rather in a still, small voice. "And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice” (I Kings 19:12). This leads us to our final thought on this subject:

III. Remove yourself from the wrong company.

Solomon went on to say, "My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood” (Proverbs 1:13,15). Paul said, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”(II Corinthians 6:17). God is looking for men, women, boys, and girls who will walk to His cadence and not cave in to the world around them. Make your confession with the saints in God’s Hall of Faith. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

Don’t listen to the mob; listen to the Master! Don’t listen to the crowd; listen to Christ!