David looked at the alarm clock on his nightstand: 6:26 a.m., Friday. His alarm would sound at 6:45, signaling time to rise, shower, dress, eat, pack books and leave for the 19th-to-the-last-day of school—not that he was counting. The lanky 14-year-old sighed and rolled onto his back, hands under his head, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. The first twinges of daylight peeked into his room through the window, casting everything in blue-gray hues. This morning, he was wide-awake, but not because he was looking forward to school.
David had been having a great year in school. He was a good student, better-than-average athlete and generally well-liked, all-around nice guy. Even so, it wasn’t often that the academic, sports and relationship categories were all registering in positive territory. Best of all, the girl David liked liked him back. Meghan, also 14, was a quiet blonde who loved horseback riding and reading. They shared three classes this semester and even attended together some youth Bible studies at her church. Life was good.
And bad. The reason for David’s dismay on this particular morning could be summed in one word: Garrett.
Garrett, age 15, was David’s equal in academics and sports but was infamous around school for his selfish, domineering attitude. What Garrett wanted, Garrett got. He stood at least a head taller than David and had real biceps. None of this would have mattered to David—he generally avoided people like Garrett—except that Garrett had his eye on Meghan. And he knew that Meghan liked David. So Garrett cast a bad eye on David, threatening him and making life at school miserable through random acts of unkindness. For today, Garrett had earlier in the week warned David to stay away from Meghan because Garrett planned to convince her to go on a date with him.
It was a ridiculous proposition, of course. Meghan liked David immensely and had tremendous respect for him. She, too, avoided Garrett as much as possible. Somehow word had gotten around the class that Garrett was on the prowl, looking to take Meghan for a night out. She had brushed off Garrett many times before, and David even stepped between her and Garrett once when Garrett was trying to “impress” her. David and Meghan’s put-offs only infuriated Garrett, making him step up his attempts to get his way.
David groaned as his alarm sounded. He punched the off button with his fist and got up. In that moment, he decided to confront the bully who was bothering him and his girl. Just how he would do this escaped him at this point. Doesn’t matter, he thought. It’s time to act.
“Here goes,” he muttered.
Action Plan
On the bus to school, David played through a hundred scenarios involving his confrontation with Garrett.
There was the one where they inadvertently bumped into each other in the hallway between classes, threw down their books and then duked it out as classmates formed a circle around them and cheered or booed, depending on whose side they were on. “No way,” David muttered aloud. “Even if I win, I lose.”
It’s not that David wouldn’t fight. But fighting, his dad told him, was reserved for only the gravest of circumstances. And this situation, according to his dad, just didn’t warrant a fight. David wondered if he could explain that to Garrett, a guy who’d already been in two fights—and won—this school year.
Doing nothing wasn’t an option. Technically, David had done nothing for two months. And the problem was getting worse.
Another scenario involved David asking Garrett to talk privately over lunch or after school and kindly explaining the problem, graciously suggesting a solution and then gently but firmly demanding compliance. This one didn’t hold much promise either. David imagined the look on Garrett’s face. He debated with himself whether Garrett would throw him into the lockers or into the concrete wall.
Do the Right Thing
Arriving in second-hour English, David spotted Meghan in her usual seat and sat right behind her. One look and he knew Garrett had been at it again, trying to flirt with her or convince her to go out with him. She smiled gently and handed David an intricately hand-decorated envelope with his name on it. The envelope had a heart drawn on the back of it. He carefully opened it and read her handwriting:
Dear David,
Just a little note to say thank you for caring about me and always doing what’s right. That’s just one of the 100 things I like about you. I’ll tell you the other 99 later.
Meghan
David’s heart soared as he read Meghan’s note over and over. He was sure that his face and neck were bright red from embarrassment—or something.
Wise Counsel
Throughout third hour, David mulled the handful of Bible verses he had looked up earlier in his process of trying to figure out this whole situation: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other” (Ephesians 4:32). “If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also” (Luke 6:29).
His dad had also pointed out Matthew 18:15–17 and the steps to confronting another believer who sins against you. David remembered the conversation well:
“But Dad, Garrett’s not a Christian—at least, I don’t think he is,” David had said.
“Well, I’m pretty sure his parents are Christians, and Garrett does attend church with them. So let’s give him the benefit of the doubt,” David’s dad had answered.
“OK—then what do I do?” David said, still confused.
“Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 18 tell us first to try to resolve it privately with the person who has sinned against us. The goal should be restoring the damaged relationship or restoring him to righteous living. Don’t discuss it with anyone else; don’t do anything that might tarnish his reputation, no matter how bad you think that is already.”
“What if that doesn’t work?” David asked.
“Depending on how the first conversation goes, you’ll have to decide whether you need to escalate the matter and bring it to the attention of others. Because you and Garrett both live with your parents, you might ask me to help,” Dad said. “I might end up calling Garrett’s dad and setting a meeting between the four of us. But don’t threaten Garrett with that; keep your initial conversation with him as much between just you two as possible. Try to resolve it, man to man. That might go a long way toward earning his respect.”
“But I don’t want his respect,” David said. “He’s a jerk; everyone knows it. What he needs is a knuckle sandwich!”
“David, you trust that the Bible is God’s Word—that it’s the rule for all matters of faith and practice and a direct revelation from God, right?” David knew where his dad was going.
“You must, then, believe and obey its instruction—even in seemingly impossible matters,” Dad said.
“I know; it’s just that, at times, more of me wants to pound on Garrett than to show any kind of mercy,” David said.
“Just remember how God treated you when you were dead in your sins. He reached out in love,” Dad said. “And remember what you’ve been forgiven for. You and all of us have wronged God himself. Can you show any less forgiveness to someone who’s wronged you less?”
Moment of Truth
The lunch bell jolted David from his thoughts. Garrett was probably in the lunchroom, causing trouble around Meghan and her friends. David grabbed his lunch from his locker and headed for the lunchroom, quite possibly to be eaten alive.
To his surprise, Garrett was sitting alone at a table. David walked toward him, heart pounding.
“Mind if I sit with you for lunch? I’d like to talk,” David said calmly.
Garrett looked up, perplexed, and retorted, “How about you get lost?”
Here goes, David thought as he slowly sat down. The lunchroom was filling up with students. Every one of them noticed David and Garrett. But the boys took no notice.
“Garrett,” David said, opening his lunch bag, “I’m not here to pick a fight or tell you off or anything like that. I’m here to make peace. . . .” 
