Standing Up To Bullies

I was about 8 years old when an older kid who was 9 began to push and shove my little brother who was only 6. My brother had a look of fear on his face as the bully began his attack. I didn’t like what was taking place so I stepped between the bully and my brother and punched the big kid in the gut. The bullying stopped while the older kid tried to recapture his breath. 

We all continued to live together in the same neighborhood. The bully never messed with me, or my little brother ever again. It would have been interesting to see the attack take place a few years later when both boys were in their teens. My little brother, Dwain, ended up standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighing in at 260 pounds in his prime. He played center on our high school basketball team.

We all need an older brother presence in our lives. This is someone who will stand between us and the bullies of this world and say, “If you want this one, you will have to come through me!” 

A lot of people feel alone and vulnerable. They have no one to stand between them and what is coming at them with overwhelming force. Yes, people will eventually have to stand up for themselves, but until they learn how to do that, they need help.

Look around at what is taking place in your surroundings today. Bullies stand in checkout lines and give checkers a ration of dishonor while people remain silent. Bullies prowl our schoolyards, run corporations, marry innocent girls, and at times, pastor local churches. 

Not everyone needs a punch in the gut. Some do, but for the most part, just you and me standing between the bully and the victim to let the bully know they are seen is all that is needed to end a barrage before it escalates. I have seen little old ladies take on bullies. It is not your size or your station in life that gives you the courage to step into the fray. It is the courage of Jesus Christ that rises up when you see injustice and make the choice to stand between the bully and the victim and say, “If you want this one, you will have to come through me!”