God's Way or My Way?

1 God’s Way or My Way???  “Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good!”   (Rom. 12:21 (NKJV)   Today will I trust in the Lord…and lean not on my own understanding. (Prov. 3:5-6) or will I give in to my own flesh and fight back?

Honor God in your responses!

1.      As the new school year begins make a decision to handle conflict in ways that honor God not in the ways that you may be tempted to respond to others.   Prov. 3:5-6  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”

Oh Be Careful Little Hands What You Do..

Ponder This: Don’t do evil! Oh be careful little hands what you do….

Proverbs 4:23–27 (NKJV) 23Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. 24Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. 25Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

When faced with conflict, many will resort to sinful words and actions. This is NOT removing our foot from evil, but instead, sticking it right in!

Focus your direction!

Ponder this: Where are you going? Oh be careful little feet where you go…..

Proverbs 4:23–27 (NKJV) 23Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. 24Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. 25Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

If your ways don’t change what will be the result?  Get back focused on how God wants you to live! What will be the result if you don’t change your ways? NOW is the time to make a change and focus on the way God wants you to live!

Keep the Heart and Control the Mouth!

Keep Your Heart! 

Ponder this: Stop your deceit and cursing! Oh be careful little mouth what you say….

Proverbs 4:23–27 (NKJV) ²³Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. ²⁴Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. ²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. ²⁶Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. ²⁷Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil. 

God’s commands for the bullied and the bully.  Our mouths must remain in control!

Trust God, Not Emotions!

Ponder this: Trust God, not your emotions!

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NKJV) 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

When it comes to bullying and bully retribution, your emotions tell you to fight back, but that is not what God has told us to do. Trust in Him to the point of obedience. In doing this, you will allow Him to direct your paths through life and avoid many a pitfall.

When we’re hurt, many times our emotions tell us to fight back. However, that is not what God has told us to do in His Word. He tells us to trust Him, which also means obedience to His Word. When we trust God, we’re allowing Him to direct our paths through life and will avoid many a pitfall.

Seek God's Favor!

Seek God’s Favor!

Ponder This: God cares about our actions!

Proverbs 3:3–4 (NKJV) 3Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.

Hang on to mercy and truth.  Bullying others or retribution to bullies is not showing mercy and does not find favor with God or man.  It is time we have individuals begin to seek favor with God!

Spiritual Heart Scan!

Speech reveals the heart.

Matthew 12:24b "For our of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."

If it is coming out of their mouth it is in their heart. If the heart condition is not addressed the mouth cannot truly change. This gives us the challenge to check our own hearts by listening to what is said, and it gives us the opportunity to recognize what is in the heart of those we are hearing communicate.

Control Your Mouth and Your Thought!

Ponder This: God is concerned with both our thoughts and words.

Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) 14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

May our prayer and our habits reflect David's desires.

Find The Common Denominator!

Who is the common denominator in my difficulty with other people?

Ponder this: Is my attitude the source of strife in my situation?

Proverbs 29:22 (ESV) 22A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.

What Did Jesus Do?

Recently in a discussion regarding bullying the question was asked, “What would Jesus do?”  Yes, it is good to know what Jesus would do in response to various things in life we face, but in this situation we don’t have to ask the question WWJD, but rather WDJD (What Did Jesus Do?).  Jesus gave us a pattern to follow when it comes to responding to those who do us wrong.

 It was prophesied over 400 years ahead of time.

Isaiah 53:5–7 (NKJV) ⁵But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ⁷He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 

Then it was confirmed by eye witness account under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 2:21–24 (NKJV) ²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ²²“Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; ²³who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 

If we answer the question, “How does God want us to respond?”  Peter tells us in

1 Peter 3:8–12 (NKJV) ⁸Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; ⁹not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. ¹¹Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 

This is pretty amazing considering this is the guy Jesus had to tell to put away his sword.  (cf. Mt. 26:52)  His life and outlook had totally changed once he saw the risen Christ and was indwelled by the Holy Spirit!

God’s Word has many principles that apply to bullying.  And many of them come with promises just like the passage in I Peter 3:8-12 above.  Did you see them?   It is our job to learn these principles, apply them in our lives, and teach them to our children and grandchildren.  Then they too can experience the blessing of God’s fulfilled promises!

What Does God Hate?

Many people speak of God as only a God of love, but God hates some things. In fact, Scripture says these things are an abomination to Him.  They are in other words extremely disgusting to Him, loathing to Him.

Proverbs gives us seven things that fall into this category:

Proverbs 6:16–19 (NKJV) ¹⁶These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: ¹⁷A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, ¹⁹A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

1.    A Proud look - James 4:6 (NKJV) ⁶But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”   God, in Scripture, always favors the humble.  Bullies are often far from humble they think they are superior to others.  Yet, the bullied often respond in pride which builds conflict with those around them and often escalates a situation.

2.    A lying tongue – God commands us to put off lying and to speak the truth in love.   Eph. 4:15; 25 Unfortunately, both the bully and he who is bullied is often guilty of not being honest.  Hence, Proverbs challenge Proverbs 18:13, 17 (NKJV) ¹³He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him. ¹⁷The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him. 

3.    Hands that shed innocent blood – These are the bullies who attack unprovoked, and just delight in hurting others.  Though these situations are growing, after questioning teens, they still seem to be the minority of bullying cases.

4.    A heart that devises wicked plans – Notice here; this is an issue of the heart, there is no inference that this has even been carried through, but simply the thoughts.  Many a bully, and she who is being bullied, can be guilty of planning evil in their hearts.  Unfortunately, many a parent and grandparent encourage this type of thinking, as well.

5.    Feet that are swift in running to mischief – There are many individuals that are in a hurry to be unrighteous, to say unrighteous things in response to others, to act in unrighteous ways toward others.  God, in His hatred toward mischief, does not differentiate on whether it was verbal, or physical; He still hates it!

6.    A false witness who speaks lies – How many individuals are false witnesses because they fail to tell the whole story, and be honest with those who are trying to deal with a solution?  How many twist the story to their advantage, never desiring the truth to be known?

7.    One who sows discord – How many people love the drama and stirring up others by telling stories, gossiping, and repeating how they were wronged instead of going to the individual and addressing the problem with truth?  Others fabricate stories to get others riled up and bring conflict, dissension, and fights to the groups and organizations of which they are part.

God is calling us to repent and turn from our sin to righteousness.  John 1:9 “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  If we are going to find a true “bully solution,” both the bullied and the bully are going to have to be honest with themselves, and God and deal with their sin by putting it under the blood of Christ and choosing a different way of life!