Have you ever been bullied? There’s a good chance your answer is “Yes”. Bullies come in all shapes, sizes, and cultures. Even pastors, pastors’ wives, and Christian leaders can be guilty of bullying. Do they do it on purpose? Some, I believe, do. Others may be blind to their bullying.
It’s been said our greatest strengths can be our greatest weaknesses. I believe this can be true with motivational leaders too. They are great at motivating, but taken to the extreme, it can become bullying. In other words, when one uses intimidation to get something accomplished, that’s when it becomes bullying. This is not Christ-like.
As pastors’ wives, we need to guard against bullying people. If the Holy Spirit is convicting you of this, ask God to forgive you. Make sure you ask those you’ve bullied to forgive you too!
Many times, we pastors’ wives feel we’re being bullied. So how do we respond in a godly way when someone is bullying us?
First, make sure you have healthy boundaries in place. Jelly Valimont, a guest blogger, wrote about this in a blog called “Boundaries”. Feel free to check it out.
Second, make sure you’re spiritually prepared every day. If I don’t spend time with Jesus through prayer and the Word, it’s so much harder for me to deal with an ugly situation in a Christlike manner. But when I do, I can more easily hear the voice of the Holy Spirit guiding me.
It’s not fun to deal with a bully, but with God’s wisdom and grace, we can do it. We can lovingly and boldly deal with the situation. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you when you’re facing a bully.
What are your thoughts on Christian bullies?
Silently Bleeding 