Strong, Yet Loving

1 Corinthians 16:13-14  Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.

We were working the desert, checking on Vehicle Identification (VIN) numbers as off-road vehicles rolled into Glamis. We had checked the VIN on a beautiful new sand rail. It had never touched the desert, and would go on its maiden voyage the next morning.

There was a problem, though. The owner had tampered with the VIN plate when he painted the vehicle and never got the VIN verified. Somebody had to give him the bad news: his vehicle was going to be impounded until he got everything straight.

Enter one of the best deputies I ever worked with. Randy took the man aside and almost apologized for what he needed to do. Yet he also conveyed that this wasn’t an option, it was going to happen. We stood there, waiting for the guy to flip out. He had driven five hours to try out his new toy, and he wasn’t going to be able to.

The man answered very quietly and said that he understood, he had worried about removing that plate. Crisis averted, and everybody left the scene without a huge blowup.

In that moment (and many other moments, too) Randy summed up today’s verse. Stand firm, be courageous AND do everything with love. It worked that night in the desert, and it works daily in our lives if we let it.

You can be strong, you can stand firm, and you can be courageous while still doing everything with love. Courage doesn’t have to be harsh. Being strong doesn’t have to demean anyone. Love can be communicated along with strength and courage.

Find that balance in your life, and let it guide you as you go about your day.

Today’s Readings: Judges 9,10; Psalm 49; 1 Corinthians 16