To Serve and Protect
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” -1 Corinthians 16:13-14
My friend
One of my close friends is a cop. I have gone on a couple ride alongs with him and seen him in action. It is amazing to see through his eyes and what his eyes are drawn to. They are not drawn to the obvious but to the shadows to the corners where bad things can be happening.
He is constantly on guard, even when off duty. When he is on the scene of a crime he stand firm in what he believes and doesn’t allow anyone to back him off of that position. He has courage to go into a scene even when others are running away.
When I think about this verse I think about him and his role as a cop. However, the unusual part of these verses is that strong, machismo verse is paired directly before verse 14 which is all about doing everything in love. A strong and mighty warrior with a tender heart, what a great combination!
In the same way, I need to live today on guard, firm in my faith, have courage, and be strong. However, I need to have a tender heart and do everything out of love.
God, may I have the eyes to see those hurting, may I never sway toward other gods and my own personal desires, but ma
y I also have a heart that is not calloused by the hurts of this world, but have a tender, malleable heart for you! Amen!
