Let’s Mute the Bullies

I don’t care much for bullies.
They make us feel stupid. Wrong. Less-than. Right?

We hear and read so much about the bullying that children and young people are experiencing these days, aren’t we? My heart hurts for their tender hearts when simply growing up is hard enough.

The bullies that have tried to face me down didn’t show up in my childhood by trying to control the Maypole or the twirly-bird on the school playground. Nor did they show up in high school. I don’t remember one bully in my hometown.

I’ve seen bullies in the workplace, though. So much insecurity seeping through their bravado and egos. And the impact their voices and ridicule had on people just trying to get their work done? Just so wrong.

But the bully that concerns me most wants to control how I think about myself.
This bully shows up in my mind. Never invited. But tries to photo bomb my self-image every chance it has.

If I let it, this bully will twist my heart like a pretzel and create little shakes in my stomach that make me feel like there’s an electric mixer on slow speed beating against my diaphragm.

It doesn’t have a face.
But it has a voice that is forceful enough to make me forget everything I learned about God’s love as a little girl, sitting with my friends in Mrs. Cora Stortroen’s Sunday School class. If I let it.

Have you met one of these bullies?
— The voice in your head that says life is always going to be hard and there’s nothing you can do about it.
— The voice in your head that says if you were prettier…thinner…younger…smarter…you could do great things and until then you might as well just settle for ordinary.
— The voice from the biggest deceiver and liar of them all that controls all these other bully voices…the snake whose life purpose is to remind you that you are nothing but Stupid. Wrong. Less-than.

I’m tired of these bullies. The ones that mess with how we see ourselves.
I’m tired of their voices. The voices that tell us lies about who we are.
And I’m angry that these bullies have such an influence on the hearts and minds of people I care about.

And then I remember.
Oh, yeah.
These bullies will only have that control if they are given permission.

I wish it was easy to just make those bully voices quieter. To make them go away.
But don’t they always seem to have the volume on max when they’re talking?

Good grief.
Those bully voices can be louder than the drama that shows up on the network news where the belief is that whoever yells the loudest is speaking the truth.

BUT…
I’m learning that I can turn down the volume on those voices and even better, put them on mute.

When those bullies show up…
when the voices’ lies start to hurt my heart and rumble my stomach…
I just remember…

God. Loves. Me.
And if those voices aren’t saying the same things that I read in His love letters to me, then the voices are wrong.

Have you had too much brain bullying lately? I care about that for you.
Stop listening to them. You can do that.
Read truth from God’s messages to you in the Bible. For real. That works—it can shut those bullies down.

Here’s a prayer for when the volume is too loud, and the lies feel too real:

Lord, I thank you for knowing my name. Thank you for always holding your arms open to me. I am grateful for your forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Please remove the lies that are bouncing around in my mind. Replace them with reminders of how much you love me. Place people or moments in front of me today that remind me I am your treasured possession, that I matter to you. You have good things planned for me—open my eyes to help me notice them. Teach me, Heavenly Father, to change my thinking so I meditate on what is beautiful, right, lovely, pure … what is good and true. Renew my mind as I choose to listen to you—look at you. I love you, God. Amen.

Mute your bullies.
Turn up the volume on God’s promises in His Word.