Officers...3 Things to Put Into Practice

Recently, I was asked to share in about 5 minutes, something the Lord had laid on my heart for law enforcement.  Here are my words.  It may have been more like 7 minutes.  :)

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Good evening.  It is an honor to stand before you today.  

This conference is called RISE.  What does that word mean?  

"Rise" is a word of action.  It means to "get up" from where we once sat motionless.  It means to move in an upward position.  

I believe God is telling us (quoting from an Old Testament passage), to "break camp...we've been here too long".  

Many of us have been doing the same old things day in and day out - in our relationships, in our careers, in our tactics, in our marriages, etc., but they're not working anymore.  We need a new thing.  We need to RISE!  But, how do we do that?

1.  Walk Well - Proverbs 13:20 says, Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

My momma always told me, "If there is something worth doing, it's worth doing right."  She also would quote me the verse that says something like, "Bad character corrupts good company". 

I still believe law enforcement is a noble and necessary calling.  Unfortunately, because of it, each of you live in a glass bubble and are on display for the world to see as you deal with the foolishness and corruption within your communities...within this nation.

What you do can affect others for the good or the bad.  You have a responsibility to display integrity, uphold the oath you took, and honor God through words and actions.

I believe God is calling you and me to rise above mediocrity, worldly foolishness, and to walk well.

2.   Be Humble - Proverbs 22:4 says, Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.

One cannot be truly humble without the help of the Lord.  It's just a fact that each of us are naturally-born, self-driven, looking out for numeral uno, individuals.  Just ask any two year old!

But, in every situation, we have a choice as to how we handle it.  Will we allow our pride to dictate, or will we allow humility to guide us?

Augustine once said, "Do you wish to rise?  Begin by descending."

He also believed that when we are low in the valleys, that is when we can look up and see the great things of God.  Not so, however, when we are high on the mountain looking down on the smallness of creation.

If we have a humble heart, God's Word tells us that blessings will follow.

3.  Be Thankful Always - 1 Thess. 5:18, In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you...

How can one be thankful in the midst of continual death, hatred, and heartache?  Each of you will face situations that will shake your world to the core.  They cannot be controlled.  The outcomes cannot be changed, in many instances.  Yet in those times, when everything is falling apart, take a moment to find something to be thankful for and tell God about it.  When we can be thankful and praise the Lord for something He's done in our lives, the Bible tells us the enemy must flee, and what can be better than that?

Many blessings,

Kristi