2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 (NKJV): "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”

Study the life of Paul, and you'll see that he faced many unreasonable, wicked, brutish, faithless people as he sought to serve Christ and obey God's call in his life.

We have all met some intense, aggressive bullies who are determined to get their way and pursue their definition of success at all costs, even if they have to leave a trail of destruction in their wake. They do not listen to reason and are not sensitive to others. They are master manipulators. Bullies can occupy positions anywhere, from the executive suite to the shop floor. They can be new hires or long-time employees, managers or union stewards, poor or rich, uneducated or very educated. Watch for these signals:

1) Bullies tend to have foul speech.  

2) Bullies tend to cross the line and break the rules to get what they want.

3) Bullies can be “white collar” crooks.

4) Bullies eventually reap what they sow, and if you are working for them, you can get entangled in their mess, too.

Let’s think about and discuss these questions:

1. What behaviors in the workplace do you define as “bullying”?

2. Have you ever worked for a bully? Or perhaps are you guilty of being a bully yourself? How do you plan to resolve the problems?

3. How did Paul deal with those “unreasonable and wicked men?”  What inspires you about his choice?