In every high school in the United States of America people put others down and hurt one another. People bully, harass, and torment one another. As people and as Christians we are called to more than this. It is a problem so prevalent yet so obscure. It’s a problem that most avoid changing or attempting to make a difference of it. If for one day all those who bully were to see life through the eyes of those they hurt; I can promise their lives would change forever. I’ve defiantly been the victim before and trust me it hurts a lot. But the best thing to do is just love those people, and I mean really love them.
Because God loved us we need to love others. He sent his only son to die on the cross for our sins; I don’t know what is more loving than that. 1 John 3:16 says.”This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Truly the best way we can show God’s love is by loving others, especially those who hate you. Love them, serve them, forgive them and most of all pray for them. We love God right? So we are supposed to love others as we love God, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself” Matthew 22:37-39. Even if they are your enemies, love them. God tells us to love are enemies and pray for those who hurt us.
Of course as people, and especially as warriors of God it is not appropriate at all to act rudely against those who hurt you and treat you wrong "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, don't stand up against an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also.” Matthew 5:28-29. Just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! It may seem senseless, illogical, and ludicrous but untimely it is SO rewarding and just the feeling of knowing that you are loving these people is indescribable. And in Matthew 5:11-12 it says that “People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be blessed. Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you”.
A lot of people think that being hurtful back and retaliating is the best way to deal with hateful people but that is so farm from the truth.”Hatred stirs up trouble, but love forgives all wrongs” Proverbs 10:12 and as well we should never judge people. A lot of the times the way people are hurt is by being judged, when you judge someone you don’t know them, it’s wrong and hurtful to them. God is the only one who can judge us, and the only one who can judge others. Every time you judge, slander or gossip you push them further away from God.
Judging, being mean and bullying others can be detrimental to them. It can really break them inside, even if they do not show it. It can make them feel so worthless about themselves. And when someone feels so worthless they can become depressed and maybe even want to kill themselves. Do you really want to be the one responsible for making someone feel so horrible? I know I don’t. And this is also why we need to stand up to it when we see it so they can stop hurting people. Let me tell you a little story: There was this guy in my sophomore English class, I never really talked to him much, then one day he suddenly was really terrible to me, for the rest of the year he said everyday “Jackie, I hate you so much, go kill yourself”. He doesn’t know how much that hurt me and I almost listened to him, but that’s not the point here. I never did anything about it; I didn’t stand up for myself. Normally I would not recommend tattling for little petty things people say but that was something I should have told a teacher about, because that isn’t okay on any level. I wish so much that I had told, not for my benefit, but so I could try to prevent him doing that to anyone else. He’s now at a different school and I have no clue how he acts toward people. This is why we need to take action and stand up when we see it.
My desire and passion in life is loving and serving God, I want to serve Him by making a difference in the world and trying to make the world a place where people feel safe and aren’t afraid of being judged or hurt by others. I believe if even just the readers of this post were to go out and start loving others and stop judging and being mean and to take a stand (appropriately of course, we don’t punch people) when they see bullying, that it would start a chain reaction. Every action starts a chain reaction, we can change the world.
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