Peter, A Breath of Fresh Air
In the animal world, the strongest will prey on they weakest. Grandpa Lacquement had a farm and on that farm he had some chicks. Are you singing e-i-e-i-oh yet? Seriously, he taught me a good lesson one day while watching a bold, brazened poultry chase around and peck on one of the other weak chicks. He moved the weak one away from the “bully” so that it could live and get stronger. The bully just went after another chick.
It happens on playgrounds in elementary schools or in the hallways of older students. As one gets older, you realize bullies also are at the workplace and in your church. Inside, bullies are probably the weakest of all. Realize that, as you deal with bullies. They are being led by the spirit of evil. They are so entrenched by satan’s tool of destruction that they don’t see who is really in control…and it’s not them! So they to seek control of others. And evil has a heyday.
Peter warns us about this and minces no words so that it is clear that God is incensed by leaders who are bullies.
2 Peter 2, The Message
Predators on the Prowl
10-11 God is especially incensed against these “teachers” who live by lust, addicted to a filthy existence. They despise interference from true authority, preferring to indulge in self-rule. Insolent egotists, they don’t hesitate to speak evil against the most splendid of creatures. Even angels, their superiors in every way, wouldn’t think of throwing their weight around like that, trying to slander others before God.
12-14 These people are nothing but brute beasts, born in the wild, predators on the prowl. In the very act of bringing down others with their ignorant blasphemies, they themselves will be brought down, losers in the end. Their evil will boomerang on them. They’re so despicable and addicted to pleasure that they indulge in wild parties, carousing in broad daylight. They’re obsessed with adultery, compulsive in sin, seducing every vulnerable soul they come upon. Their specialty is greed, and they’re experts at it. Dead souls!
15-16 They’ve left the main road and are directionless, having taken the way of Balaam, son of Beor, the prophet who turned profiteer, a connoisseur of evil. But Balaam was stopped in his wayward tracks: A dumb animal spoke in a human voice and prevented the prophet’s craziness.
17-19 There’s nothing to these people—they’re dried-up fountains, storm-scattered clouds, headed for a black hole in hell. They are loudmouths, full of hot air, but still they’re dangerous. Men and women who have recently escaped from a deviant life are most susceptible to their brand of seduction. They promise these newcomers freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, for if they’re addicted to corruption—and they are—they’re enslaved.
20-22 If they’ve escaped from the slum of sin by experiencing our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ, and then slid back into that same old life again, they’re worse than if they had never left. Better not to have started out on the straight road to God than to start out and then turn back, repudiating the experience and the holy command. They prove the point of the proverbs, “A dog goes back to its own vomit” and “A scrubbed-up pig heads for the mud.”
What do we learn?
–God will take care of bullies.
–Bullies are weak seeking to bring others who are weak into submission.
–Seek to bring a bully back to Christ. Pray for them to see Truth.
Dear Heavenly Father, We pray that you will help us not to be bullies, but generous people of Your love, grace and mercy for others. We repent for falling for this trick of satan’s to bring us into his plan to destroy what You have created. Help us to show mercy to bullies at all times, realizing the weakness they have inside. Thank you, Lord for times when we had to face bullies, tell the Truth and deal with the consequences. This isn’t easy…but You know that.
In Jesus Name, Amen
