BULLYING

"And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.  And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai." - Esther 3:5-6

I am both amazed and troubled at events that are going on these days.  Among the things I see happening is the bullying of people.  While our society has tried to bring a spotlight to this problem, the issue is actually worse now than ever.  In fact, some who condemn bullying the most are actually guilty of it themselves.

In this age of political correctness, everything is tolerated accept for beliefs that are opposite to popular belief.  For instance, religion is tolerated by most, but not Biblical Christianity.  We've seen Christians bullied because of their stand for Biblical truth.

We are seeing political bullying, from the White House to houses of Congress.  We have witnessed bullying from those who turn rallies into riots.  Economic bullying is obvious as the poor are often abused for the sake of financial gain. Social bullying occurs regular on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.  Anyone expressing an opinion on social media may be subject to hateful and ugly responses.  Finally, there is spiritual bullying as religious leaders abuse their position by using guilt as a means to extract money from well-meaning followers.

The Bible has many examples of bullies.  From Goliath to Herod, we read about men who tried to use their size or position to selfishly get what they wanted.  One notable example of bullying was Haman.  In the book of Esther, we learn that Haman was a wicked man who was driven by hatred.  As a result, Haman sought to exterminate the entire Jewish population.  Very much like Hitler, Haman tried to use his political position to wipe out God's chosen people.  In the end, Haman's hatred led to his own doom.  

From the story of Haman's crusade of evil, we learn several things about bullies and bullying.

1.  BULLIES ARE OFTEN INSECURE

Bullies tend to pick on those that they feel are weak and vulnerable.  They rarely pick on anyone their size or bigger.  The reason is that bullies find pleasure in feeling superior.  Haman was insecure.  Every time a something happened in his life, he ran to his wife and friends for support.  On one hand, all of us need the support of those close to us, but Haman apparently was not secure in himself.  Secondly, he was insecure in his leadership.  Although he was granted a position, the position itself was all the influence Haman had.  People respected his position, but not Haman himself.  Mordecai refused to bow to Haman because he did not respect Haman as a man.  Third, we know Haman was insecure because he allowed his emotions to overrule common sense.  He had uncontrolled anger.  Perhaps he felt that his anger generated more respect by those under his leadership.  Subordinates, because of the leader's emotional instability, fear an insecure leader.  Insecure leaders like to be feared, but they do so because they confuse fear and respect.  You may fear a man who may cause you physical harm, but that is not the same as respecting him.  Haman was an insecure man & insecure men look for security by oppressing others.

2.  BULLIES ARE OFTEN DESTRUCTIVE

Bullies create havoc and harm.  If Haman had gotten his way, he would have destroyed the entire Jewish race --- and he nearly did!   These days, it isn't uncommon to hear of young people committing suicide after being victims to bullying.  Bullies create chaos wherever they go. 

3.  BULLIES END UP DEFEATED

Bullies end up reaping what they've sown.  Haman died on the very gallows he built to hang his enemy, Mordecai.  Hitler took his own life.  David beheads Goliath with his own sword.  Soon the devil will be cast into the lake of fire.  Bullies may seem to win at times, but they will always end up losers. 

While it is easy to condemn the bullies around us, we need to see if there is a bully within us.  We need to examine our hearts and lives. Any attempt to manipulate or control someone else is a form of bullying.  We need to recognize our tendency to bully others and repent of it.  We need to stop it. 

Finally, we need to remember that God will not be bullied.  The devil and his demons will not remove God from His throne.  Human bullies may deny or ridicule Him, but God will have the final say so.  Those who seemed so invincible here on earth will be at the mercy of the One who sits on the throne. 

Its not how many people obey you, but how well you obey God that will ultimately matter.