Power PlaySample

Nobody likes to be called out for their bad behavior. We’ve all been in situations where someone has made an inappropriate joke, became irrationally angry at a situation, or made a snide comment that completely changed the air in a room. What had once been a quiet office or peaceful home has all of a sudden become a minefield, where all we want to do is avoid setting off the next potential explosion.

When these situations happen with authority figures, that minefield can feel even more dangerous. It can even make us feel helpless to stop what’s happening.

Has ignoring a situation or pretending it never happened ever helped improve things? When we see authority figures abusing their power or causing stressful situations due to bad behavior, God doesn’t expect us to sit back and just accept what’s happening. Instead, we’re to speak up for others as well as ourselves. Of course, we have to be mindful of the words and methods we use to call out bad behaviors. If we respond to bad behavior with gossip or disrespect, our behavior becomes no better than theirs.

Is there a situation in your life where you need to call out bad behavior in an authority figure? Do you have people in your life who can help talk you through the situation and decide on the best next steps?