[T]he scriptures also speak of how the followers of Christ are to live in and among this sinful world. Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves: wise but meek and innocent.

As a parent, I had a first time experience this week, and honestly, it was not one I ever wanted and never want again.

My daughter was bullied at school. She was called names and then was threatened if she told any of the teachers. I give high honors to the teachers and administrators of this Wake County School as they swiftly moved into action to protect my daughter and intervene in this situation.

Bullying is commonplace and is not a new invention. Thirty years ago, my school day ended with a kid twenty pounds heavier and two year older bulldogging me into unconsciousness. I’m not sure what ever happened to him…being unconscious and all.

However, later in life I attended a Christian school, and there physical bullying wasn’t common. However, spiritual bullying was. Spiritual bullying is taking the truths of one’s religion, and using them to intimidate, hurt, and manipulate.

Spiritual bullying is trying to get someone to behave by threatening them with God’s wrath.

Spiritual bullying is trying to control another’s actions by appearing superior to them.

Spiritual bullying is trying to get someone to believe by threatening hell.

You say, “But how do you motivate someone to believe and change?” Paul answers that in Romans 2:4 by reminding us that it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance.

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Gordon Duncan is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and is the pastor of Sovereign King Presbyterian Church in Garner, N.C. and chaplain to the Garner Police and EMS. He writes for the Raleigh Evangelical Examiner who hold the copyright on his writing, thus the ‘tease-read more’ format.