Pledge to Stop Bullying by Loving Like Jesus

What is this pledge for?

Today, I finally was able to get the pledge together… Mainly, because of a story I read that brought me a reminder that my words can be destructive. When we go out in public, we have to realize that we don’t always know what other people are going through, so a cruel comment could cause a lot of pain and a kind comment could bring joy to the joyless. We never know what will send someone over the edge, maybe a cruel comment to the clerk at a grocery store, will cause them to go over that edge and kill themselves or bring harm to others. We cannot ever be sure how much damage our words bring, because we cannot ever completely understand what someone else is going through. Which also means we shouldn’t judge others either, because we do not know what is or has gone on in their lives or minds. Only God can completely know what someone is all about and what they’ve been through… Which is why He is in charge of judgment and not us. So, please read the pledge below and if you’re in agreeance with it, say “A-men.” Also, since none of us are perfect this pledge is saying, “I will try my best and I will pray for a change in my life,” it is not a promise that you’ll be perfect in this area … but that you will try to be. Continue to the pledge below.

Pledge:

“My words can be as a sharp sword, killing those who hear them or they can be as a soft pillow, bringing comfort amidst a raging storm; I hereby choose for my words to bring comfort, not death and destruction. I will not use my hands for violence, I will use them to show gentleness and the mercy of God upon others. My feet, I will not use to kick my brothers while they’re down, I will use them to follow in the ways of Jesus. I pledge to #LoveLikeJesus did in Luke 23:34 to forgive without receiving any apology, and to give compassion where there is none. I will no longer take the easy way out by loving only those who love me, but I will love my enemies as well, to the best of my ability. I realize that if I want to help #StopBullying, I have to start by changing the person in the mirror and by setting a better example, for all who come in contact with me. I pledge to start my war against bullying at home, I will not gossip, I will not judge because judgment is the Lord’s to give. The only approval I will seek is that of my Father in Heaven, and when I witness an injustice I will stand up against it, without fear of persecution for if my God is with me, whom shall stand against me? When I am not strong enough to keep this pledge on my own, I will look to my Father in Heaven for strength. I will remain vigilant in prayer, and when I fall short of this pledge, I will pick myself up and continue the pledge. I will keep trying and praying to keep this pledge, even though I fail a million times because I understand that I am not just pledging this to myself, but to God as well.”

Holding Yourself Accountable:

I’m not trying to sell anything, but if a reminder helps you and if you would like to spread the word of this pledge, consider getting the shirt at: http://www.reverbnation.com/store/view_item_merch/artist_2569062?item_id=1654302&merchprice=23.34

My reminder is my wedding ring, it is a cheap little silver ring with the Christian fish logo on it. Krista has one just like it. I never take it off, and it helps keep me accountable because everyone can see it and know that I’m a Christian. So, it is important to do what you have to do to hold yourself accountable. You might also consider having a partner in this pledge, where if one of you fail the other can pick you back up and even let you know that you’re not keeping the pledge. This pledge may seem silly to some, but people are dying because of bullying now… If not actually being killed as a result of it, they’re killing themselves because of it. People can only take so much and sometimes all they need is a little push off the edge.

Furthermore, to hold yourself accountable you can reply to this and say A-men, letting the world know you took the pledge!

What do you mean the war on bullying starts at my house?

You might say, “but I’m not a bully!” Maybe you’re not, but if you’re around children or anyone for that matter, there are certain behaviors you might have that are “bully-ish” and give a bad example. For example, gossiping even if it is behind another person’s back and they’ll never hear it… Someone is hearing it, and if it is your child then they might think it’s “ok.” They may even think it’s ok to say it directly to the person they’re talking about, resulting in some very bad consequences. There are bad consequences for gossiping anyway, even if the victim doesn’t ever hear it.

Also, even though some of you are adults when you’re at the workplace is probably when your bully behavior is at it’s peak… Whether you realize it or not. Maybe you “down” another employee to your boss in order to get that promotion over them.

Also, A LOT of Christians are guilty of typical bully behavior. If we disagree with someone’s lifestyle, we tend to judge and attack instead of talking to them in a civil manner. If you don’t think your kids will pick up on this behavior, then you’re fooling yourself.

Cover Symptoms or Cure Disease?

Bullying is a disease in that it is destroying civilization. We can cover up the symptoms by having stricter enforcement against bullies at school or the workplace, or we can cure the disease by holding ourselves accountable and setting a better example to future generations.