What do I say when people are making fun of me?

I am proud of you for asking me a really good Apple Box question. You asked me, “What do I say when people are making fun of me?” You also said, “I need help at school” and “Some of the kids at school are being really mean by making fun of the way I dress and they are calling me a boy and stuff like that.”

It’s a big deal and so I will try to answer your Apple Box question and help you with this problem. I promise we’ll keep praying, and you can keep asking questions too. If other kids are really bullying you a lot, though, we may need to help you more, OK? Promise me that you will tell your mom or dad or me or me if these other kids are going too far and are hurting you.

Proverbs 11:5 says,

The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

The kids who are bothering you and making fun of you may not stop. You can’t force them to stop, but you can control the way you react. If you ignore them or aren’t bothered by them, they may just stop cuz they’re not getting you upset anymore. That isn’t easy, I know.

I will ask God to help grow you to be the kind of person who honors God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in!

Also, you have to realize that you simply can’t please everybody or be friends with everyone. Look at what Paul says in his letter to the church in Galatia about people who are bullying him about the truth of the Gospel:

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

I promise you that you are not the only one who was ever teased!

And I get teased, too. One of the things that I do that really helps is that I search for positive influences and good friends and godly people to be in my life. And then I hang out with them. They are such good friends and people, that the others don’t matter as much any more!

I will say one more thing, and it’s kind of tough, but it will work. Check out these verses and I’ll bet you know what I am going to say.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. (1 John 4:7a)

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:44-45a)

O boy! It’s not easy to love your enemies. But it’s the right thing to do, and it honors God. BTW, “love your enemies” doesn’t mean that they have to be your friends, it doesn’t mean you have to like them, and it doesn’t mean you have to be anywhere near them, and it certainly doesn’t mean you should just let them hurt you. It just means that you will respect them as created by God (just like you are) and you can pray that God will change their hearts.

I hope this helps you a little bit. Let me know how it’s going, OK?