Friday, June 13, 2014

Something Good In Every Day

Believing in the Evidence of Goodness 

 

Have you ever gotten to a point where the ability to see the good in life, or believe that it exists, becomes more difficult to achieve? At some point in every LE career, either an LEO or their family will experience this struggle. After witnessing so much evil, pain, danger, abuse, and heartache, it can become difficult to keep your head above water and continue to believe in goodness. It becomes a feeling of despair, discouragement, and fatigue. Whether you are an LEO or in the family of one, at some point or another you may begin to feel doubt that there is more good than bad in life.

Sometimes life gets so dark and so crappy that the ability to look for goodness around us becomes too much. We can become deeply burdened by pain. Our questions can fog our realities and cripple our strength. The truth becomes harder to find and the lack of answers becomes confusing. You may see evil daily. You may have witnessed things in your life that have you questioning if goodness exists. When the days become difficult and you fight to believe in goodness, remember His evidence because He is the very definition of Good.

If our God is Good, so too are the things we see the evidence of His power in (Timothy 4:4). The birth of a baby, the beauty in new life, in His creation, in His promises, in His Word. There are days when I feel so discouraged I have to literally tell myself to look for the good. And there are some days where the good I focus on is something simple because it doesn't seem like there is much else. The good in my day may be something as simple as the beauty in the sky, the yummy smell of dinner, my daughter's laughter.  As I continue about my day looking for good things, it dominoes and the ability to see goodness becomes easier and easier. God is all around us, and so too is His goodness.

Law Enforcement families know all too well how dark the world can be. We know the struggle of staying upbeat and hopeful, of battling pain and difficulty. When we begin to feel discouraged, when we question the purpose of doing good or of hoping in goodness and faith, remember this; "O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" Psalms 24:8 When we begin to struggle with the questions of good in our world we must remember that the One who we put faith in, the One who sees our hearts, who directs our path and has set us apart, is GOOD. The very thing we believe in is GOOD. "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." Psalm 136:1 And we can REST in His love and goodness when we become burdened. When everything else fails, God's faithfulness endures and there is where our hope lies. "...it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast." Hebrews 6:18-19  

May I encourage you with this, God works all things for good. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 There is no thing, no situation, no evil strong enough to cause God to fail. This means that nothing can stop God's love and power from changing all darkness into something good. There is nothing that can overshadow the evidence of God and the evidence of what is good around us.

Finally, if you are struggling with the realities of evil in the LE profession remember this, our LEOs have a great God fighting along side them on the streets. You have a God that is standing with you in every moment of your day. A God that is Good. Goodness is all around you.

I pray you find the ability to see and focus on the good around you. That the evil you do witness will be overpowered by God's comfort and grace. I pray it becomes easier for you to remember what goodness still exists when you begin to feel burdened. And most of all, I pray you also become part of the good that is still very much alive in this world. Blessings on your day, may goodness find you!

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“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” -Psalm 145:9

“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” - Psalm 100:5

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28

"I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!" Psalm 27:13

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” -James 1:17



O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God,-Goodness-Of#sthash.qWPAI9Jb.dpuf
Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God,-Goodness-Of#sthash.qWPAI9Jb.dpuf
Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God,-Goodness-Of#sthash.qWPAI9Jb.dpuf
Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God,-Goodness-Of#sthash.qWPAI9Jb.dpuf
Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God,-Goodness-Of#sthash.qWPAI9Jb.dpuf