Bullies Need Jesus

Bullies

I’m Jonah!

I wrote a book about an adventure I had a long time ago and involved a big fish!

More on that later.

Do you know what it’s like to be bullied?

Made fun of for how you look.

What you do.

What you say or how you sound?

How do you feel when someone bullies you?

Or, a friend?

When I was you age I was short, short legs, kind of a big nose, ears.

And other kids made fun of me.

They were mean.

When ppl say things like that it hurts inside.

Makes you angry.

There was one group that was the meanest, nastiest group of all.

They made fun of everybody. They were ruthless.

They’d laugh when they made ppl cry.

They’d do it to me. And they’d do it to my friends. They’d do it to everybody!

They’d gang up on us. More of them than us.

We couldn’t do anything to get them to leave us alone.

If we tried to push back, they’d just push harder.

If we ignored them, they’d push harder.

There was no let up in them, at all.

They wanted to get a rise out of us. They lived for this and loved when people didn’t like them.

They perfected taunts and teasing.

They’d hurt you w/ more than words. They’d hit you, too.

Always looking for a fight.

They were from a place called Nineveh. They were called Ninevites.

I wanted nothing to do w/ them.

Every time I was around them they’d get mean and ugly.

So, it was best just to avoid them.

I wanted nothing good to happen to them Just bad stuff.

Cause I thought bad ppl just deserved bad stuff.

But, then, one day, God spoke to me and told me to go to Nineveh and talk to them.

But, he said this to me:

I wrote it down later.

Jonah 1:1–3 NIV

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

I’m like, NO! I don’t want to go there for any reason. Much less to warn them that they might be in trouble w/ God.

Warn them?! Why wouldn’t he just smash ‘em w/out a warning?

If I warn them, they might change and then God won’t smite them.

If anybody deserved t/b smote by God it’s the Ninevites.

But, He said he didn’t want to smite them. He would. He will.

But if the warning works and they open their heart to God he’ll save them.

He said he’d rather save them.

Who could love the Ninevites?! I didn’t. I didn’t know anyone who did. But then God said He did.

Here’s the deal. No, they don’t deserve to have anything good happen to them.

But, neither did I when God saved me.

And, when God saved me. He changed me.

And, if God saves the Ninevites, he’ll change them, too. And they won’t be bullies any more.

If they open their heart to God, and apologize for being bullies, He’ll forgive them.

And I can forgive them too.

I’d rather warn the Ninevites and have God change them than have to avoid them the rest of my life.

Bullies need Jesus b/c Jesus turns bullies into nice guys.

So, if you have the chance to talk to a bully about Jesus take it. B/C they will change and no longer be bullies if they open their heart to God and let Him change them.

God changed me too. I didn’t like it at the time, but I do now.

Open your heart to God and let him change you.