I’m back from the Holy Land and can’t wait to share some of my adventures. My luggage had such a good time that it decided to stay…! So, I can’t post any of the video blogs I made while I was there just yet because the cables to connect the video camera to the computer are in the bags…

But I had a pleasant surprise when I got back to Afghanistan. A dear friend of mine had sent me the book More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey, the popular financial guru. I’ve enjoyed listening to Dave on the radio for years but had never read any of his books. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book is more about character than it is finances!

In one section entitled Responsibility Has to Be Personal, Dave has this to say:

Albert Schweitzer said it well: “Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will, his personal responsibility.” Enough whining, I am sick of whining, whining by every special interest group, whining against our upbringing, whining against the mean old boss, whining against your pastor, whining about your spouse – especially if it’s an ex-spouse – just whining. Whining is a sign of a lack of character on your part. If you don’t like the way something is, do something about it. Finger-pointing, blame shifting and whining, while they appear to have merit, are not doing something. There is tremendous energy in positive activity and in providing a solution. That activity, while it may not solve the problem, moves you from being self-centered to being solution-centered. (emphasis added)

This principle is in keeping with the Dynamic of Restoration which identifies five progressive steps on the Path of Destruction. When someone steps out from under authority and develops anIndependent Spirit, the walls of hostility go up and they begin to deflect the truth by assigning blame. This leads to a Wounded Spirit where the person’s feelings get hurt so easily.

We see this all the time in law enforcement: “He got a new winter jacket and I didn’t get one…” “She got a new patrol car assigned and I was next in line for a new car…” “He got the promotion and everybody knows I should have been the one to get it…” And on and on and on. A Wounded Spirit can lead to bitterness, which is even more destructive.

We will explore these principles in more detail in future blogs. In the meantime, keep up the good character…!

Sheriff Ray