I am blest to have some great friends. Here's a couple of them from the fourth of July weekend.
Oh me, oh my. The school year is about to begin. I teach middle school. That means….get ready for the “friend drama” and bullies.
I just want you young folks to prepare yourselves (especially girls) for this phase in your lives. In Proverbs 20:6 it says, “You might call many people your “friends,” but it is hard to find someone who can really be trusted.” I will second that. But have hope, and know that God can and should be your BFF.
You will have friends and acquaintances in your life of various color, interests, sizes, etc. I wholly want to encourage you to have a variety of acquaintances. It is important to have the ability to associate yourself with people from various backgrounds as yourself. Get involved in school, clubs, sports, church, and community service/charitable organizations. Just remember to always be true to God, even when situations get a bit complicated. I created a list of friend advice from translating Psalm 37:1-6. (ßClick on the link.)
Bullying is not a trend that just arose a few years ago. It has been going on for centuries. Nehemiah dealt with it in Nehemiah 4-6:19 . (And Nehemiah was no teen.) When I read this portion of scripture, it made me realize that Nehemiah was being “picked on”/”bullied” by others. He persevered, prayed to God, and rose above it all. He knew Who was in control, and it wasn’t his opponents.
At the beginning of the book of Nehemiah in my bible, it says the setting is: “Battling harsh opposition…” and the theme to consider is: “Success is simply not giving up-even when we most want to quit.” What is bullying really? Battling harsh opposition. Lesson to learn? Don’t give up and quit, know that God has your back.
So the next time you have friend issues or others around you try to knock you down (no matter how old you are), just know that you are not alone, pray, hold your head up high with The One who is for you, and stand strong.
Blessings to you.