No matter who you are, everyone has experienced the “bully.” It starts when we are young. It begins to take shape on the playgrounds, in the classrooms of our childhood and continues through life. Bullies have been bulling since time began. Know this, the bullies are not going away.

Whether it’s on the playground, social media, family, church, work, it’s always the same situation, different settings. The power of the bully is their “perceived” power to determine your acceptance, safety & security…your value. BAM! This is the key. It’s our value they are after. The question is, will you hand over the key?

The bookshelves, internet, TV Talk Shows & even your friends all have their opinions, but the tried-and-true source is found in God’s Love Letter, His Word, the Bible. One of my favorites is in Daniel 3, where three young men are threatened with being thrown in to the super-hot furnace if they would not bow down and worship Nebuchadnezzar’s 9’ x 9’ gold statue. What would you do if your life… your family’s lives were on the line?

This is how the three young men (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) responded. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.” Daniel 3:16-17 That’s faith. But was it conditional faith? Was their faith based on God sparing them from the fiery furnace? This is a question we will all have to answer. Do we trust Jesus just for the response we want, or do we have a “No-Matter-What-Faith”? A “Trusting-Faith” that enables us to stare at the bully in the face and say, “I only bow to the King of Kings, Jesus.” “Jesus, not you, determines my value.”

We know the young men had this kind of “Trusting-Faith” by what they said in verse 18, “But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” You can discover how it turned out in Daniel 3 but note the three young men never gave their keys to King Nebuchadnezzar. The power of, “Even if He doesn’t” is the same power Stephen had when he was being tried by the same religious leaders who crucified Jesus in Acts 6 & 7.

Only God can provide, “No-Matter-What” Power. But we as people will never have this power until we respond to God’s command in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Until we learn & trust the source of true power…of true Life-Hero’s, not celebrity make believes, we will continue to allow other people to determine our value.

Jesus said, “I have come that they (Followers of Christ) may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10. I believe the life Jesus is speaking of is “eternal life” with Him. Are you sick & tired of being sick & tired? Call out in faith as King Jehoshaphat did when he faced a certain annihilation. He prayed, “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You (Almighty God).” It’s as simple as crying out, “Jesus, I need you! I need Your No-Matter-What Power! My eyes are on You!”