Target of the Week — Devotional: Love Your Bully
Saturday, April 3rd, 2010
After you’ve heard “Target of the Week,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard the episode, check out the Media Player. You can also find a station in your area.)
By Catherine Wilson
Matthew had a tough time with bullies in today’s show and decided that his only way out was revenge. Later, he did the right thing by apologizing to Vance, but even then, Vance didn’t give up his bullying ways.
Matthew’s dilemma reminds me of two kids I know named Thomas and Michael. One day at school, Michael was waiting in line for the drinking fountain when Thomas pushed him out of the way. Michael was upset, but when he went home that day, his mother suggested that maybe Thomas just needed a friend. The next day Michael talked with Thomas, and found out that both of them liked spaceships and water balloon fights. Today, the two are best friends. They build enormous Lego spaceships together and they’re always on the same side in water balloon fights.
In the Bible, Jesus says to “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” Sometimes, a bully just needs a friend. And sometimes, a bully is just a bully and being their friend won’t make them treat you any better. But, however a bully acts, we know that revenge isn’t the answer.
When you treat a bully with love, you might gain a friend, like Michael did with Thomas, or gain respect, like Matthew did with Vance. But even if you don’t get either of those things, you will please God because you treated others as Jesus did. And if nothing else works, you can always pray for a bully.
Did you ever have an enemy that God helped to change into a friend? I’d love to hear about it on the blog!
