Police Devotion 2-19-16
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend;” (Proverbs 27:6a)
Long ago an after-shave commercial said that the product wakes you up like a cold slap in the face. In the ad, a man is slapped in the face and says, “Thanks, I needed that.” In a way, that’s one idea of this passage. Sometimes people need a “cold slap in the face”—so to speak—in order to see the error of their ways.
What if you had a close friend who was addicted to alcohol or gambling? People who like to drink and gamble may argue that these things don’t always enslave people, but doing either of them is playing with fire. Proverbs 6:27 says, “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” You may not become a drunk or a problem gambler, but your son or daughter following your example might.
What of your friend with the problem, though? Gambling and alcohol are expensive (and sinful) habits. He may have money trouble as a result. Does he spend a lot of time at the bar or casino, or buy multiple lottery tickets? Yes, those are gambling. Does he work excessive part-time, trying to recoup his losses? If he has a wife and kids, you can be sure that they’re hurting too, but he probably won’t tell you.
So what will you do? Wait until he commits suicide, gets divorced, or is fired? His sin is hurting him, his family, friends, and even you. You need to look him in the eye and tell him to stop before he destroys his family. It won’t be fun, but you need to be a faithful friend who “wounds” him and sets him straight.
If you see a cop taking needless risks at work that may get him or others hurt, what do you do? What if he gets himself into danger and other cops risk getting hurt or killed trying to help him— which you know they will? You need to “wound” people like that and set them straight before something bad happens. If you’re uneasy telling him yourself, tell a boss. You’re not a snitch. You could be saving cops’ lives.
As a boss, sometimes you have to “wound” subordinates who look sloppy, aren’t doing their job, or are doing things they shouldn’t. When you do, of course, it should be in private. You should always praise officers in public and correct them in private. Your problem officer may not like to hear it, but it is better coming from you in a private chew-out session than from the Complaint Unit or Internal Affairs.
If you’re a parent, you have to chastise your kid when he misbehaves. It’s not fun, but you do it because you love him and want him to stop the bad behavior. How many teenagers or young adults have you seen in your tour of duty who don’t act right? They obviously weren’t raised right.
God, being a loving Father, chastens His children at times: “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:12). If you’re saved but having problems, it may not be because of sin in your life, but it may be. Pray and ask God, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me,” (Psalm 139:23-24).
If someone “wounds” you as a faithful friend, you should tell him later, “Thanks, I needed that.” Likewise, Hebrews 12:11 says, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” If God deals with you about sin, it’s not fun. If you confess and forsake it, though, and it’s out of your life, then you can say, “I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” (Psalm 119:75). You could even say, “Thank you, Lord. I needed that.”
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Brian Miller 2/19/2016
Cleveland Baptist Church | 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 | 216.671.2822