bullies and servants

Jesus got them together to settle things down. "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage." Matthew 10:42-45 (The Message)

It certainly isn't the first time, and I guess it won't be the last. I get so angry when my children are attacked by bullies. It's like a double injury: there is my child, hurt in physical and emotional ways, and then there is the broken life of the offender who is often much older and more deeply immersed in bad decisions and environments. Lord, help me be a stronghold, a deliverer. And help me create a safe haven for my children in addition to helping them navigate complex social situations. May my children grow to be hungry to serve, rather than hungry to rule over others.

for my son who just turned 12, and for me, his mother

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 (New International Version)

"Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that." Ephesians 5:1-2 (The Message)

Maker of all things good, I offer you profound thanks for my son, given by you and born to me 12 years ago. Help me continue to imitate you so that he will do the same. More than anything, help my son love. Not cautiously, but extravagantly, with abandon! May he seek always to serve others, giving away the overflowing gifts you are building up in him. May we both be a light to the world, leading your people and setting an example in speech, life, love, faith, and purity.