The Intimidation Factor

As far back as I can remember, I’ve been able to intimidate people. Not everybody, but many. I’m admitting that I’ve always liked the idea. When you are intimidating, you generally get what you want, people leave you alone, and you have an “edge” in most situations. In the past, my husband called me his “hit man”. If someone wasn’t being fair, or was being unreasonable, and he wasn’t getting anywhere with them, he’d say “look, mister, if you don’t help me out here, I’m going to turn this over to my wife…and believe me – you don’t want to deal with my wife!”

There are probably many people today that knew me then that would say less than kind things about me, and deservedly so. I’ve probably wounded more than a few individuals with my words or actions.

I’ve been a Christian for over six years. One of the reasons I became a believer was because God put me in my place and intimidated me with my sin and the judgment that was ahead of me for that sin. He doesn’t deal with everyone in the same way, but He always knows just how to deal with us in our particular place in life. Intimidation, as I said in the beginning of this post, doesn’t work with everybody, but He certainly got my attention. And after 6 years I believe anyone that knew me then that knows me now would say that God has definitely mellowed me out and made some major changes in me, just as Scripture promises He’ll do. (II Corinthians 5:17)
Lately, in my little talks with God He has brought me to the realization that intimidation is not such a desirable trait in most situations, and that I should not be intimidating to those around me. He’s also showing me that intimidation and strength are not synonymous. Christ was accessible to all, and never intimidated anyone, yet He was strong, He was bold, He was assertive. In all these things, He was always approachable.

Am I not supposed to strive to be like Him? I know so.

I am faced with the dilemma that I am not now who I have been all these years and I recognize myself less and less as the years go by. It’s somewhat unnerving, but also encouraging, because it is just one more assurance that He is Who He says He is, and is very very real.

Having said all this, I reserve the right, under certain situations, to revert back to the old nature. If I’m being approached by an undesirable bent on harming me - then watch me transform.


Scripture reference:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17