Hey Carpool Crew, it's Pastor Justin, and I'm so glad you joined me for this bonus episode of Carpooling with Jesus. Today's episode is part of our series, What Should I Do If, where we talk about real situations you might face at school, at practice, with your friends, or in your own house. Now, a while back we did a whole episode called What Should I Do If I'm Being Bullied. That one was for when the mean stuff is happening to you. If that's you right now, go back and listen to that one, and go have a conversation with your parents about it. You are not alone. Bullying happens, and it is not okay. We pray for the kids who do it, and we ask Jesus to change their hearts. But today, we're flipping it all the way around. Today, we're talking about: What should we do if we see bullying happening to somebody else? So imagine this for a second. You're at lunch, or you're out at recess, or you're standing at the bus stop, and you see it happening. There's a kid. Maybe you know them, maybe you don't. And a few other kids are standing around them, laughing at them. Maybe they're calling this kid a name. Maybe they knocked their backpack off the bench. Maybe they're just saying the kind of stuff that makes your stomach drop just from hearing it. And you can see the kid's face. Their ears are red. They're staring at the ground. They're trying to act like it doesn't hurt, but you can tell that it really, really does. Now here's the part that makes this so hard. In that moment, everybody around you is doing something with their eyes. Some kids are laughing along. Some kids are staring at their shoes. Some kids are pretending they don't see anything at all. And somebody is already pulling out a phone to record it. That is not the move Jesus would make, Carpool Crew, and it is not what we do. And then a little voice in your head starts talking really fast. Don't get involved. If you say something, they might come after you next. It's not your problem. Just keep walking. If you have ever been in that exact spot, frozen a little, heart pounding, not sure what to do, I want you to hear this. You are not a coward. You are not weird. You are not weak. That moment is genuinely hard for anybody. It would be hard for a grown-up standing right where you're standing. It takes real guts to do something when a whole crowd is doing nothing. So let's not pretend it's easy. It isn't. Let's just figure out what to do. Because here's what most kids do when they see somebody getting picked on. They look away. They tell themselves somebody else will handle it. Or honestly, sometimes they laugh along too. Not because it's funny, but because laughing along feels safer than being the next target. And I understand why. But deep down, you already know that looking away leaves that kid all alone in the worst moment of their day. God has something a lot braver in mind for you. So what does the Bible actually say about this? Let me show you a verse that is basically God's job description for His people. Proverbs 31, verses 8 and 9 says, "Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy." There are some big words in there, so catch this part right here. "Speak up for those who have no voice." In that lunchroom, out on the recess field, at the bus stop, the kid getting picked on is the one who has no voice. They're too scared. They're outnumbered. They can't stand up for themselves. And God says that is exactly the person you speak up for. That is exactly the person you go stand next to. Now maybe you're thinking, but I'm just a kid. I'm not big. I'm not popular. Nobody is going to listen to me. What can I even do? Friend, that is the whole point. That's why this month over on Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible we're telling the story of a guy named Gideon. Gideon was the youngest kid in the weakest family, and he was hiding in a hole in the ground because he was scared. And God called him a valiant warrior, and then used him to rescue an entire nation. Not because Gideon was strong. Because God was with him. That's the same promise God makes to you. In Deuteronomy 31, verse 6, Moses stands in front of God's people and tells them, "Be strong and courageous; don't be terrified or afraid of them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you; He will not leave you or abandon you." That is where your courage comes from. Not from being the toughest kid in the room. From knowing that God is standing right there with you. Jesus told a whole story about this one time. It's called the Good Samaritan, and we've talked about it on Carpooling with Jesus before. A man got hurt and left on the side of the road. Two people who should have helped walked right past him, all the way over to the other side. Then one man stopped. Luke 10, verses 33 and 34 says, "When he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds." Everybody else walked past. He stopped. Jesus told that story on purpose, so that we would all ask ourselves the same question. When I see somebody hurting, am I the kid who walks past, or am I the kid who stops? Here's the real answer God is showing us. Being brave is not about being the strongest. It's about being the one who stops. The one who steps in. The one who won't leave a kid standing alone in the hard moment. And hear me on this one. Standing up does not mean starting a fight. We do not go looking for a fight, ever. The bravest thing is almost never throwing a punch or trading insults. The bravest thing is getting that kid to safety and getting a grown-up who can actually help. If Jesus were sitting right there next to you in that lunchroom, He'd lean over and say, "When you stand up for the kid nobody else will stand up for, you are doing something I love. That kid matters to Me. And you are not doing it by yourself. I am right there with you. Be brave. I've got you." Okay, let's get practical. Here are four things you can actually do when you see somebody getting bullied. First, don't join in, and don't just watch. If you have a phone, leave it in your pocket. You do not need to record somebody being bullied. This is the very first move, and it's bigger than it sounds. The second you decide you will not laugh along, you will not repeat the mean words, and you will not pull out your phone, you are already helping. Bullies feed off a crowd. When you refuse to be part of the crowd, you take some of the power away. Second, go stand with them. This is the brave one, and I'm not going to pretend it isn't. You do not have to give a big speech to the bully. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is walk over, stand right next to the kid getting picked on, and say four words. "Hey. Come with me." Invite them to your lunch table. Invite them to hang out with your group at recess. Walk with them to class. That one move tells that kid loud and clear, you are not alone anymore. I see you, and I'm with you. Third, speak up if it's safe, then walk away together. You don't have to yell. You don't have to be mean back. A few calm words do a lot. You can say, "Hey, that's not cool." Or, "Come on, let's go." And then walk away with the kid. Don't stick around to argue. Don't shove. Don't trade insults. Remember, we are not looking for a fight. We are getting somebody to safety. And if it doesn't feel safe to say anything at all, that is okay. Skip straight to the last one. Fourth, and this one is not optional. Always tell a trusted adult. Find a grown-up at school who can help. A teacher. A lunch monitor. A coach. The principal. Somebody you can walk up to and say, "Hey, I need some help." Now, some of you just thought, that's tattling. Listen carefully, because this part matters. Tattling is when you are trying to get somebody in trouble. Telling is when you are trying to keep somebody safe. Those are two completely different things. Getting a grown-up to protect a kid who is being hurt is not tattling. It is one of the bravest things you can do, and it is exactly the move Jesus would make. And if you are ever not sure what to do, go talk to your parents about it. Tell them exactly what you saw. I promise you, they will help you figure out the right next move. Real quick before we wrap up, I want to talk about one more thing. What if it turns physical? What if somebody starts pushing, or grabs the kid, or grabs you and won't let you get away? Walking away is always the first option. Walking away is strong. Walking away is the brave move, and it is what you do first, every single time. But if somebody grabs you and won't let you leave, or is actually hurting you, it is okay to protect yourself. Get free, and get to a trusted adult as fast as you can. Protecting yourself so you can get away is not the same thing as looking for a fight. We never start one. But you are always allowed to get yourself safe, and then go straight to a grown-up who can help. And parents, real quick. This one is worth a conversation in the car. Your kid is going to see this at some point this year. The best gift you can give them is permission and a plan. Permission to step in, and a simple plan for how. Talk through who their trusted adults are at school, by name. Tell them plainly that reporting to keep somebody safe is never tattling. And get on the same page about the physical safety rule. Walk away first, always. Protect yourself if you're trapped, then find an adult. Decide what your family rule is out loud, together. When your kid knows you have their back, they are a lot braver out there. Okay Carpool Crew, quick recap. When you see somebody getting bullied, here's what you do. Step one, don't join in and don't just watch. Step two, go stand with them. Step three, speak up if it's safe, then walk away together. And step four, always tell a trusted adult, because telling to keep somebody safe is not tattling. It's brave. No matter where you are or how you're listening, God is near. You are not alone. And you are deeply loved. Parents, share this one with another parent, a teacher, or in a Facebook group. A lot of families are walking into a new school year right now and nobody has handed their kid a plan for this moment. And let this episode spark a conversation with your kid. Check the show notes for more questions. Before you go, talk about this together as a family. When was a time you saw somebody get left out or picked on, and what did you do, or what do you wish you had done? Thanks for riding along with me, Carpool Crew. I'll see you next time.
