When Morale is in the Tank
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6)
During a time when David was on the run from King Saul, he and 600 brave followers took refuge in the city of Ziklag with their wives and kids. One day while the men were away, a gang of criminals, the Amalekites, invaded Ziklag. They kidnapped the families and burned the city.
When the men returned home, they found their city burnt and their families gone. The grief of these brave soldiers turned to anger against their leader, David. They had willingly faced danger for him time and again, but now they talked of stoning him. Their morale was in the tank. So was his. Yet David did not quit or run away. He “…encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
Police work is a morale job. You can make a cop comply with rules, but you can’t make a cop care. Care is from the heart. Cops take the job with its danger and less-than-ideal pay because they care. They fly lights-and-siren to gun runs because they care. They chase on foot because they care. They get injured, sometimes seriously, but they return to duty because they care.
Yet cops are leaving the job in record numbers nowadays and violent crime is spiraling. When cops are demonized, saddled with onerous rules, and flogged with heavy-handed discipline, the job is no longer about serving the public. It’s about financial survival, even if it means minimum effort. As a result, criminals have a field day and decent people suffer, especially in bad areas.
So how do you get morale out of the tank? Like our passage says, encourage yourself in the Lord. How? First, remember that God ordained human government: “…the powers that be are ordained of God.” (Romans 13:1) That includes your job, the police, as its enforcement arm: “…he beareth not the sword in vain:” (Romans 13:4) So God wants you to do the job.
Second, don’t think of the critics or spitters or talking heads who want to defund you. Instead, think of people for whom you want to do your best: a single mom trying to raise her kid right; an older couple living in fear; people who display “WE SUPPORT OUR POLICE” signs; who quietly have your back; who are as frustrated as you that leaders won’t give them good police service.
Third, think of times you could have been hurt or killed or something else bad, even because of your own doing, but it worked out ok. Take a moment to thank God for those times. Fourth, engage with citizens on a social level when you can. Don’t be afraid to show that you’re human.
Finally, remember: criminal-friendly policies that make life tougher for citizens are the leaders’ fault, not yours. Give God your best. If you want to know how to be sure of getting to heaven, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links”, then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 6/27/2021
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822