Help me out, guys. I’m torn over this one.

In a recent conversation about self-defense, an unexpected argument broke out. What do you teach your children if they’re getting teased or bullied in school? 🤔

And please understand that there is a difference between getting made fun of and being bullied. Kids saying, “What are THOOOOSSSE?” to your child’s Walmart shoes one day is much different than your child being the constant target of another kid’s abuse.

Either way, no parent wants that for their child; so what do you tell them to do if it happens?

Walk with me through this scenario.

Let’s say Billy (because you can’t have enough Billys) comes home crying and tells you that some kid pushed him at school. He says he told the teacher, but the pesky student always decides to push Billy while the teacher isn’t looking.

What’s your advice to Billy? 🧐

I would tell Billy to look his assaulter dead in the eyes and give a stern warning (“Hey. For real. Don’t push me again.”) If the pushing continued, you are then free to give a quick but hard blow to the chest area. It would need to be hard enough to make the person go back a couple feet. If the person just so happened to trip on a few things in the backwards motion, that’s an extra bonus.

The response to this should be, “Hey, man. Be cool. I was just joking.” (If the kid just finished watching “Saved by the Bell”); but if not, a brawl will ensue in which aiming for spots like the nose could be the ticket out.

In the best case scenario, it wouldn’t escalate to a fight; but you have to stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.

I don’t know what the other logical plan is if nothing happens when you tell the teacher. I mean, the kid doesn’t have time to “move up the chain” in an effort to escalate the issue in the heat of the matter.

It all makes perfect sense to me. But then there’s the other side…

I’m working hard at being a better me every day. Part of that includes deepening my spiritual life. So in that mindset, my counter thought is, “What would Jesus do?”

I’ll tell you what He’d do. He wouldn’t hit.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” – Matthew 5:38-39

In fact, before even turning the other cheek, He’d say something so simple yet prolific that would have the other person contemplating all their life decisions.

Jesus does spiritual clapbacks.

I need to get on that level because I stay in petty carnal clapback mode. Help me, Father. I’m going to start praying to get the best spiritual clapbacks for every occasion. 🙏🏾

So while I’m trying to get my life together, what in the world am I supposed to be teaching my sons?

What’s the Christian way to stop someone from hitting you? Can you touch them back at all? Or maybe you should pray first so that you’re putting holy hands back on them. Amen? LOL!

And does the protocol change if they enroll in martial arts? What’s the point of wasting money on that if they’re supposed to be taking blows and waiting for spiritual clapbacks to come to them?

I’ll tell ya… it’s a constant battle between flesh and spirit.

I need you guys to weigh in on this one because the internal struggle is real. Your feedback is going to be part of this week’s podcast. I’ll also include some other tricky scenarios that may shake up your spirituality. HA! Thanks in advance.