Intimidation

Intimidation

Almost every school has a bully. He or she is usually big, and can squint their eyes and look real mean. They usually have a loud voice and almost always get their way. Why? Because they have mastered the art of intimidation. What does the Bible say about such people?

What is intimidation?  Intimidation is when someone tries to make someone else feel timid or afraid.

Should Christians try to intimidate people? No. It’s in the Bible, “Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth…”Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:5, 9, NKJV). We should be so full of love, that we draw people toward us with our kindness not by frightening them or making them feel belittled.

I am being intimidated by someone. How can I handle it? Intimidation must be met with confidence and reliance on the Holy Spirit. It’s in the Bible, "For the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them" (II Timothy 1:7, TLB).

Are you saying I should love the intimidator? It’s in the Bible, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you” (Proverbs 25:21-22, NKJV).

Are you saying that Christians should be weaklings? No. It’s in the Bible,”And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord you God…” (Deuteronomy 28:13, NKJV). God meant for his people to be stronger and better than others, but their strength comes from God.

How did the Bible characters handle intimidation? Nehemiah wanted to rebuild the broken down walls of Jerusalem. He humbly asked the king for help and was allowed to go and supervise the work. There were men who tried to scare, or intimidate him into stopping. The Bible says, “For they were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done” (Nehemiah 6:9, NKJV). Nehemiah did not try to argue with them. Instead he calmly went about his work and ignored their threats. He prayed,”Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands” (Nehemiah 6:9, NKJV). Did Nehemiah succeed? Of course he did because his confidence was in the LORD.

What can I do to keep from being intimidated by others? Your confidence should be in Jesus and not in yourself. It’s in the Bible, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John5:14, NKJV). When we truly love God with all our hearts, we won’t feel the need to be the best or the strongest or even the most popular. We know that God loves us and that we are important to Him. That’s all that really matters.