When you hear the word bully, what do you think of? I think of a kid who's bigger than the rest and makes the little kids cry. I think of the kid who pushes people down the stairs or knocks books out of their hands. And yet, the truth of the matter is that bullies come in every size, shape, color and age bracket.
Bullies are everywhere.
A bully is the blogger who sends another a hateful email for no reason at all.
A bully is the woman who gets mad at another woman in her friend group and asks others to isolate her.
A bully is someone who says hurtful things just to be hurtful, who gives mean looks, who makes another scared or embarrassed or sad.
The scary part is, being a bully is so normal today, especially with so much access to people whether it be through phones or social media or in person. Being mean is just accepted and it shouldn't be. It's time to put a stop to this epidemic.
Just the other day, I came into contact with a bully. She wasn't bigger than me, not older, not stronger or scarier. She was a normal person. And yet? she said some really hurtful things. Why? because of her own insecurities. I know that. But that doesn't mean it hurt any less ... no, it really, really hurt.
And that experience, along with seeing some others post about bullying lately, led me to write this post.
This is a challenge for you and a challenge for me.
Before you say something or do something to someone, think about how it would make you feel if someone said or did that to you.
Do things to try to build people up, not tear them down.
Remember that God made everyone & he loves everyone ... try to see people with his eyes.
If you feel yourself about to do or say something hurtful? Take a break. Walk away. Go for a literal walk. Remove yourself from the situation.
And on top of those things, when someone is a bully? Try to remember how Jesus acted when people spit on him, when they nailed him to the cross; he prayed for them saying they didn't know what they were doing.
I am not, by any means, by any stretch of your wildest imagination, perfect. Actually? I've done some pretty mean things. There were times in my childhood when I was the absolute definition of a bully. There have been times even this week when I've said things about other people that were mean and hurtful and probably made God really sad. I. Screw. Up. We all do.
But the important part is that we recognize when we mess up and we just try to do better everyday realizing that every single person is struggling in some way and every single person deserves love.
I'll leave you with this verse that has really been on my heart this week and I think ties in perfectly here:
Bullies are everywhere.
A bully is the blogger who sends another a hateful email for no reason at all.
A bully is the woman who gets mad at another woman in her friend group and asks others to isolate her.
A bully is someone who says hurtful things just to be hurtful, who gives mean looks, who makes another scared or embarrassed or sad.
The scary part is, being a bully is so normal today, especially with so much access to people whether it be through phones or social media or in person. Being mean is just accepted and it shouldn't be. It's time to put a stop to this epidemic.
And that experience, along with seeing some others post about bullying lately, led me to write this post.
This is a challenge for you and a challenge for me.
Before you say something or do something to someone, think about how it would make you feel if someone said or did that to you.
Do things to try to build people up, not tear them down.
Remember that God made everyone & he loves everyone ... try to see people with his eyes.
If you feel yourself about to do or say something hurtful? Take a break. Walk away. Go for a literal walk. Remove yourself from the situation.
And on top of those things, when someone is a bully? Try to remember how Jesus acted when people spit on him, when they nailed him to the cross; he prayed for them saying they didn't know what they were doing.
I am not, by any means, by any stretch of your wildest imagination, perfect. Actually? I've done some pretty mean things. There were times in my childhood when I was the absolute definition of a bully. There have been times even this week when I've said things about other people that were mean and hurtful and probably made God really sad. I. Screw. Up. We all do.
But the important part is that we recognize when we mess up and we just try to do better everyday realizing that every single person is struggling in some way and every single person deserves love.
I'll leave you with this verse that has really been on my heart this week and I think ties in perfectly here:
Luke 6:32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them."
Now, accept this challenge & use your kindness to be a light in this sometimes dark, scary world.
No comments:
Post a Comment