As a Christian your should be expect to be a victim of cyberbullying. What strategy can you employ to defend yourself from this type of attack?
Social Media has allowed many people to have their voices heard. Some use it simply to keep in touch with family happenings, others use it to open up career opportunities, or promote their business or favorite charities.
However, some will use social media as an avenue to harass, embarrass or silence a persons viewpoint. This is often referred to as “cyberbullying”. It is a tool some people can wield quite effectively. Cyberbullying can be simplified to mean hate.
There are many good articles on the web about the effects of cyberbullying and strategies on dealing with it. The focus of this article will be on how Christians should respond to cyberbullying when the attack is about our faith. If you are believer in Christ, you should be expected to be on the receiving end of this online bullying. Why? The simple answer is the world hates Christ.
The World hates Christ
Many people are against cyberbullying but sadly, when a Christian is on the receiving end, the world remains quiet about the attack. This shouldn’t surprise us because the world has always hated God and his message. Just as they hated Christ and tried to silence him, cyberbullies through harassment will also try to keep you quiet.
—John 15:18–25 NKJV ““If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, “They hated Me without a cause.’”
Respond with Love
Christ was mocked and ridiculed. We can use Christ as model on how we can respond to cyberbullying. What was his response to the “bullying” He received from the world? His response was a great outpouring of love!
Instead of condemning man on the spot, He gave them a chance for eternal life through His death. He suffered having spikes being driven through his hands and feet and the incredible pain associated with that so he could demonstrate his love for us. He desires that we should not perish but have everlasting life.
—John 3:16–17 NKJV “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
Man Can’t Save Himself
The whole world has been pronounced guilty by God. The world does not like the idea of needing a savior. They feel either it is not necessary as somehow they are owed heaven or that through “good” living or other means they can earn their place in heaven. But scripture teaches different, showing that man will always fall short.
—Romans 3:23 NKJV “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
—Romans 3:20 NKJV “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
We have been pronounced guilty by God. That is a very uncomfortable feeling and you can not expect the world to be happy over that message. Fortunately, because of God’s love and mercy, he has offered us eternal life through Christ.
—Romans 6:23 NKJV “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
You can not stop the World from Cyberbullying you. The most effective defense to cyberbullying is to share the message of God’s love with them. Let them know that “ Christ died for our sins”.
Victory Through Christ
—1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NKJV “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,”
Let them know as sinners they cannot escape God’s judgment, they cannot earn a place in heaven but they can have a relationship with God by accepting his love, coming before Him as a guilty sinner and asking for his mercy.
—Acts 13:38–39 NKJV “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
Don’t give the cyberbullies the victory and be silenced by their intimidation. For through Christ we have victory and a great opportunity to share this life giving message of love.
—1 Corinthians 15:56–57 NKJV “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
If you are a victim of Christian Cyberbullying let Christ’s sacrifice on the cross be your motivation, don’t let them silence you, instead find a way to respond with God’s love to the bullies in your life.
If you have not yet come to understand God’s love for you, I hope you take the opportunity to do so now.
—Ephesians 1:7 NKJV “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
However, if you continue to reject God’s love a sad fate awaits you…
—John 3:35–36 NKJV “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”