We live in a world searching for the next breakthrough; the one solution that will fix what hurts. We look for the perfect relationship, the right career, financial security, a healthier lifestyle, a medication, or a new beginning. None of those things are inherently wrong. Yet many of us eventually discover that even when we achieve them, something still feels incomplete.
My research into the Fatal 10™ identified ten major life stressors that can increase the risk for devastating outcomes. Relationship conflict, trauma, illness, substance misuse, identity loss, retirement, and other major life transitions all have one thing in common: they challenge our sense of connection and purpose.
For years, I asked, “Which of these factors is the most important?” But the better question became, “What is the foundation that helps us navigate all of them?” Well, with the help of my cohort, Dr. Jorey Krawczyn, we believe the answer is “relational purpose”.
At its deepest level, relational purpose isn’t simply about having better relationships with family, friends, or coworkers. It begins with understanding who we are because of whose we are. Before we can love others well, we must first know the One who created us.
When we’re hurting, it’s easy to search for relief in places that promise comfort but leave us emptier than before. We may chase another relationship, numb our pain with alcohol or other substances, bury ourselves in work, or search for fulfillment in success. Yet none of those things can fill the place that was designed for Christ.
Jesus offers something different. He offers peace that isn’t dependent on circumstances, hope that outlasts disappointment, and a purpose that reaches beyond any title or season of life.
The invitation of the Gospel is not about perfection. It’s about relationship.
Perhaps the answer we’ve been searching for isn’t another temporary solution.
Perhaps it’s the One who has been calling us all along.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” — Matthew 6:33
Today, if your heart feels weary, know this: you are deeply loved, you are never beyond hope, and you are always invited into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Sometimes the greatest transformation doesn’t begin with finding the right answer; it begins with finding the right foundation.
If you found this information helpful, you might consider our podcast episode 13 “Finding Real Hope in the Recovery” with Matty Fiorenza where he shares why lasting freedom, joy, and hope are found only through Jesus Christ and answers the question: Can recovery truly heal the soul?
If this article stirred something in you, you’re not alone. If you need prayer, support, or someone to connect with at Mission First Alliance, we’re here to help you take the next step toward hope.Please reach out to us through our Contact Us page, or leave a comment below.
The first responder wellness movement has grown significantly over the last decade. Conferences, peer support programs, resilience training, mental health resources, and wellness initiatives are now more common than ever before. Yet despite these advancements, many organizations continue to struggle with burnout, trauma, suicide, and declining morale.
In Episode 12 of the Living Mission First Podcast, “Leadership That Changes Lives,” we welcome filmmaker, podcast host, and wellness advocate Conrad Weaver for a conversation that challenges the status quo and explores what may be missing from the current wellness movement.
This episode represents more than just another discussion about wellness, it is a full-circle moment and an opportunity to examine first responder wellness through a unique lens.
A Perspective Outside the Wellness Echo Chamber
Most voices in the first responder wellness space come from two backgrounds: experienced first responders or academic professionals with specialized training, certifications, and research credentials. Both perspectives offer tremendous value and have helped move the conversation forward.
However, Conrad Weaver suggests that the industry may have unintentionally created what he calls a “wellness echo chamber.”
Too often, the same speakers are presenting the same messages to the same audiences, while organizations continue to face many of the same challenges. Awareness has increased, but measurable cultural change remains elusive.
Conrad brings a different perspective to the conversation.
Through producing the acclaimed documentary PTSD911, hosting the First Responder Wellness Podcast, attending wellness conferences across the country, and engaging directly with first responders and agency leaders, he has observed trends and gaps that deserve serious attention.
His conclusion is both simple and profound: two critical components are frequently missing from wellness conversations—leadership and faith.
The Leadership Gap
Wellness programs can provide resources, training, and support systems, but leadership ultimately determines whether those resources become part of an organization’s culture.
When leaders model vulnerability, prioritize wellness, and create environments where people feel safe seeking help, positive change becomes possible. Conversely, when leadership remains disconnected from wellness efforts, even the best programs often struggle to gain traction.
Leadership is not simply about policy; it is about influence.
Healthy organizational cultures are built when leaders consistently demonstrate care for their people, communicate purpose, and create trust. Without leadership engagement, wellness can become another initiative rather than a transformational movement.
The conversation highlights a truth many first responders already know: culture starts at the top by servant leaders.
The Faith Gap
While wellness and peer support are frequently talked about, the role of faith remains absent from most conversations, programs, and training. Conrad shared that most conferences and training will not even bring it up.
This reality and burden grew for me personally and even led me to leave the Seattle Police Department after 13 years of service. During that time, I served as a full-time Peer Support Coordinator, Resilience Trainer, Chaplain Program Leader, and founding member of the department’s Wellness Unit.
First responders are more than physical, emotional, and psychological beings. We also have a spiritual need. Every day, we encounter tragedy, death, injustice, and human suffering. Eventually, those experiences force us to wrestle with questions of meaning, identity, and eternity.
Most wellness programs address the mental and physical symptoms but never address the soul.
While the wellness movement has made significant strides, I believe it will continue to fall short until we are willing to acknowledge this foundational piece and the life-changing hope available through faith in Jesus Christ.
A Full-Circle Moment
This episode carries special significance for me because Conrad interviewed me twice on his First Responder Wellness Podcast. One of those appearances, Episode 22 titled “Are You Losing Your Religion?”, was released on January 31, 2024, and became the podcast’s most downloaded episode of the year.
Both were great conversations about my experience, but I was even more excited to hear what Conrad has been learning.
Reasons for Hope
While the challenges facing first responders remain significant, this conversation is ultimately one of hope.
Mental health struggles continue to impact agencies across the country, and there is still much work to be done. Yet there are also encouraging signs of change. More leaders are recognizing the importance of wellness. More organizations are embracing holistic approaches to care. And more first responders are finding healing, support, and renewed purpose.
For those who have experienced trauma, burnout, or despair, the message is clear: you are not alone.
As we discussed throughout this episode, true wellness requires more than programs and policies. It requires leadership that inspires, communities that support, and a source of hope that endures even in life’s darkest moments.
We desire to see more first responders and their families find that hope in in Jesus Christ.
The wellness movement has come a long way, but perhaps its next chapter will be defined by addressing the very things that have been missing all along: leadership that changes lives and faith that sustains them through every challenge.
Listen to Episode 12 of the Living Mission First Podcast, “Leadership That Changes Lives,” to hear the full conversation and explore these important insights for yourself.
If this article stirred something in you, you’re not alone. If you need prayer, support, or someone to connect with at Mission First Alliance, we’re here to help you take the next step toward hope.Please reach out to us through our Contact Us page, or leave a comment below.
by Jeff Fields, Author of Sober from Sin: A Law Enforcement Veterans’s Journey to Unraveling Addition and Faith
What Really Matters?
What is important to you? Is it your title, salary, or pension?
This question is often answered easily if you ask someone while they’re at work. Their mind is set on self-promotion and envisioning a solid retirement. But what if you asked this question to someone when they are off duty? Would their answer change?
“Money.” “Family.” “My kids’ education.”
I think the question is harder to answer for someone who just sat down after mowing their lawn. Why is this?
It all comes down to priorities.
Often, our priorities are skewed at different points in our lives. When I was a young police officer and firefighter, I would have told you that my priorities were to save lives, make good money, and hang out with my friends. As I got older, my priorities shifted to promotions at work, a better house and car, and meeting my wife. Later in my career, my focus turned to title, money, and notoriety.
This progression may not look the same for everyone, but ultimately, as we settle into our careers, we often drift from the things that are truly important. I know this from personal experience and from speaking with other first responders.
When Work Becomes the Safe Place
This drift happens in every profession, but in my opinion, first responders may have a more grandiose perception of themselves, so often, family comes second.
We control the scene, knock down fires, create calm in chaos; we are doers. But what happens when we get home and we can’t calm the scene or extinguish the fires of personal relationships?
For me, it made me gravitate closer to my career over my family because I had control there. It was cleaner, structured, and I was getting paid.
But when I clocked out, I was still left with, well, life.
Trained for the Job, Not for Life
It has always been curious to me that when we decided to go into a career as first responders, we underwent rigorous academies, field training, and quarterly training, all so that we know how to do our job well and safely.
If you were like me, I got into my career young, and it was really my first “real job,” so I hadn’t picked up too many life skills yet. All I did was add a bunch of technical career skills on top of limited life skills.
I can’t speak to others’ experiences, but my academy experience was limited to the “work stuff,” not the “family stuff.” They warned us against getting too wrapped up in our job and to take care of our family, but this advice fell on deaf ears to a 23-year-old eager to start his career.
The topic of family life or family wellness was brief and lacked substance. This gave me the impression that I wouldn’t have issues with my personal life because it wasn’t built into the curriculum.
Boy, was I wrong.
When Everything Started Falling Apart
I spent 22 years in law enforcement, both locally and federally. I spent four of those years as a firefighter and 2.5 years working for the medical examiner’s office as an investigator. Both my firefighter role and death investigator roles were collateral to my duties in law enforcement.
I lived and breathed my career; I didn’t have time for anyone else.
But toward the end of my career, after I was married and had a child, I started to see things differently. This wasn’t because I lost the love for my job — which I did — but because my family told me they were going to leave me.
Why?
During the last quarter of my career, I became very dissatisfied with my job. Topped with unaddressed traumas, I started to drink alcohol to create some sort of, albeit fleeting, peace. This turned into an addiction, and any free time I had from work was spent either drinking, recovering from drinking, or figuring out my next drink.
Family became background noise to me.
The Wake-Up Call
But when my wife told me she was leaving me and taking my daughter with her, a realization came over me.
Now, this wasn’t the first time my wife had threatened me with this, but for some reason, this time — the 128th time, or so it felt — it scared me. I felt like my foundation was about to break apart.
You see, this whole time, the successes of my career and the comfort of my days off were contingent on having a home. When I say “home,” I mean a family who loves you and supports you.
I took this for granted, never stopping once to think about what would happen if I didn’t have this.
For so many years, I placed my career first, myself second, and my family last, never once stopping to think about how I would survive without my career.
The PATTERN SO MANY SHARE
I had seen so many colleagues get divorced, remarry, and then get divorced again. Some were paying child support to multiple ex-spouses, dealing with domestic violence, and other personal crises.
When I started to reflect on all of this, I began to see patterns.
There was almost always a common thread in these people’s lives falling apart: their job was everything to them. They would work overtime constantly, avoid family functions, and skip their kids’ events.
Reflecting back now, with sober eyes, it really is sad.
But even though it is sad, this behavior seems to be accepted in many first responder roles. However, acceptance doesn’t make it right.
What Happens After the Title Is Gone?
One of the hardest-hitting realizations for many comes when they retire. They no longer have the title, structure, or importance they once had, and now they have their family.
But often, the family is now scorned, scattered, or disinterested in a parent who wants to put them first now.
Studies have shown, and I have witnessed this numerous times, that children of an absent parent are more rebellious and are more likely to go down dark paths in their lives. All this because a parent made work their priority over them.
Your Family Is Not Replaceable
The point I want to make is this: you don’t have all the time in the world when it comes to family.
The moments where you are needed are never going to be convenient or as gratifying as you may expect, but the operative word here is “needed.” You are needed as a spouse, parent, sibling, or friend.
Your need will always be there, as long as you don’t mess it up, whereas you will only be needed in your career for a limited amount of time. Once you are gone, you will be replaced, and you will be forgotten.
But to your family, you are irreplaceable.
You will never be forgotten.
So if anyone ever asks you what is important to you, really think hard about your foundation. Think hard about who makes your house a home.
Is it faith and family?
Whatever your family dynamic looks like, family is first. Be intentional with your time with them. Your family shouldn’t be your retirement plan. Your family should be the reason you want to leave work as fast as you can every day.
Trust me, they will thank you later.
If this article stirred something in you, you’re not alone. If you need prayer, support, or someone to connect with at Mission First Alliance, we’re here to help you take the next step toward hope.Please reach out to us through our Contact Us page, or leave a comment below.
Law enforcement has a way of shaping life beyond the shift. Long before most families realize it, the job begins to influence how time is spent, energy is managed, and decisions are made at home. What often starts as dedication turns into a life lived in response to demands.
For many officers and spouses, survival becomes the goal to get through the shift, week, and season. Survival is sometimes necessary, but when it becomes the default way of life, it can overshadow our intentions.
This post is about learning to live with intention under the weight of the job, rather than letting the job set the direction for life and marriage without question.
When Survival Takes Over
Survival mode serves an important purpose at work. It keeps officers alert and responsive in environments that demand it. The challenge comes when that same posture follows everyone home.
Over time, conversations can drift toward schedules and responsibilities instead of connection, and time together feels rushed or divided as exhaustion sets the tone. Rest may begin to feel undeserved, as though slowing down requires justification rather than being necessary for health and connection.
For spouses, it can feel like the job never fully leaves. For officers, it can feel like there is nothing left to give once the shift ends. Most of the time, it becomes a matter of survival moving into the driver’s seat.
Choosing Direction on Purpose
Living with intention does not mean controlling every detail of life or creating routines that fall apart when schedules change. It’s about intention and a decision for values to guide choices, even when circumstances are demanding.
Without intention, the loudest pressures tend to win. However, with intention, couples begin asking different questions:
What kind of marriage are we building in this season?
What do we want our home to feel like when the job is heavy?
Those questions don’t remove stress, but they create clarity, making healthier choices possible.
A Grounding Faith
Faith serves as an anchor, as scripture points toward a life that is rooted rather than reactive, and shaped by purpose rather than urgency.
For law enforcement families, this grounding matters. The badge is part of the calling, but it is not the whole story. Living with intention becomes a spiritual practice when life at home is shaped by alignment instead of reaction.
Where has the job been setting the pace at home, and what is one small shift that could bring more intention into this season?.
Call to Action
You were never meant to navigate this calling alone. With the right tools and support, it is possible to build a marriage and family that grows stronger under pressure.
Join Bless the Badge at an upcoming conference, cruise, or retreat:Learn more here.
Let’s build stronger, thriving law enforcement families together!
If this article stirred something in you, you’re not alone. If you need prayer, support, or someone to connect with at Mission First Alliance, we’re here to help you take the next step toward hope.Please reach out to us through our Contact Us page, or leave a comment below.
All photos credited to Wende Grubbs of Bless the Badge.
When Rest Feels Like the Wrong Move
I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Florida Leaders’ Summit this month, and I’m still basking in all that the Lord has done.
I went in expecting it to be valuable. I had no idea how much the Lord would meet me there.
Time with other leaders. Good conversations. Shared mission. Sign me up.
But if I’m honest, I also came in with a mindset I’ve carried for a long time:
Stay engaged. Stay productive. Keep things moving.
And then I was asked not to work.
I was honored with the gift of space to rest… and I knew I had been needing this very thing. I was so excited to rest! But even while preparing, I kept catching myself thinking of all I could accomplish while away from home, and its distractions.
Even there… I wrestled… I didn’t feel like I had time to fully step away.
And I realized pretty quickly—I didn’t just need rest… I had to work at not working.
Not casually. Intentionally.
That tension stayed with me all week.
Because everything in me kept saying: There’s more to do.
Called… and Still With Him
When you are called, it’s hard not to live in a constant sense of urgency.
The burden for those you serve is real. The need is real.
In first responder ministry, there are no true slow seasons. The job doesn’t stop… so the need doesn’t either.
In Exodus 34, we drop in on Moses attempting to lead the children of Israel to the promised land.
And honestly, it’s not going as well as he had hoped. They just sinned and made a golden calf to worship. The covenant had been broken, and God was ready to unleash wrath on them.
Moses interceded for them, God remembers His promises, relents from destroying them, and then he intercedes again, asking God not just to save them, but to forgive them – willing to stand in their place. Moses understood the call to give up all of himself.
He was actively leading people who are difficult, unpredictable, and constantly in need, carrying a responsibility that most of us can’t fully comprehend. And he knew how much he needed God. In Exodus 33:15, he said, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.” Moses hit a turning point. A ‘I won’t move without you’ moment.
God’s response? “My presence shall go with you…” Exodus 33:14a
But God didn’t stop there. He finished with such a gracious response. “…and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14b
Rest is not separate from His presence.
It is found in it.
The Promise That Holds It Together
This wasn’t isolated. Right in the middle of his calling, in the middle of the wilderness wanderings, Moses had stepped away from the work to be in God’s presence, not for just a morning devotional time, not because it was downtime in between events…
“So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights…” — Exodus 34:28 (NASB)
He didn’t step away because the work was done.
He stepped into the presence of God while the work was still very real.
And when it says he was with the Lord – that is no small thing.
The phrase “with the Lord” used here carries the idea of being before the face of God—not just near Him, but positioned in intentional, relational nearness.
And this wasn’t brief.
Forty days. Forty nights.
Sustained, uninterrupted communion.
The Result of Being With Him
Moses comes down the mountain and doesn’t even realize what has happened:
“Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.” — Exodus 34:29 (NASB)
It wasn’t manufactured.
It wasn’t strategic.
It was the result of being with God long enough to be changed by Him.
That’s the part that has stayed with me.
Not just that Moses went up the mountain… but that something in him was shaped there that he could not have produced any other way.
And it takes humility to believe that.
To believe that being before His face long enough to be shaped by Him is actually the key to leading well.
What Moses experienced on the mountain is what Paul later describes:
“But we all… beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image…” — 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB)
Transformation doesn’t come from pressure.
It comes from proximity.
From staying before Him long enough to be changed.
A Moment That Reveals the Difference
Not long after this, Moses is back at it – leading, interceding, navigating conflict, carrying the people forward.
But something is different.
There is clarity. There is authority. There is a steadiness that wasn’t there before.
Why?
Because he didn’t skip the mountain.
He didn’t rush past being with God to get back to leading for God.
The Resistance We Don’t Always Name
This is where Isaiah 30 hits hard.
God offers something simple, but costly:
“In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength. But you were not willing.” — Isaiah 30:15 (NASB)
The words matter here:
Repentance (shuv) — to turn back, to return
Rest (nachat) — to settle, to be at ease
Quietness (shaqat) — to be undisturbed
Trust (bitchah) — confidence, security
Strength is found in returning, settling, and trusting.
But the turning point in the verse isn’t the offer.
It’s the response:
“But you were not willing.”
That’s what I felt at the summit.
Not unwilling in a rebellious way… but unwilling in a quiet, internal resistance to letting go.
Because rest requires something of us:
It requires us to stop carrying what we’ve been holding and trust that God can sustain what we’ve been trying to manage.
The Call to Be Still
Scripture keeps reinforcing this same invitation:
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10 (NASB)
“So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God… the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works…” — Hebrews 4:9–10 (NASB)
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 (NASB)
This is not passive.
This is not disengagement.
This is a deliberate release of self-reliance.
abiding: the only way this works
Jesus brings it into full clarity:
“Abide in Me, and I in you.” — John 15:4 (NASB)
“As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself… so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”
“Apart from Me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5 (NASB)
To abide is to remain. To stay.
Not visit. Not check in.
Stay.
This is the only way calling becomes sustainable.
What Changed for Me
As the summit went on, and I kept choosing to step away from work—even when it felt unnatural—something shifted.
Not dramatically. Not instantly.
But steadily.
I was more present in conversations. More aware of the people in front of me. More able to receive encouragement instead of just giving it.
Less driven to manage the moment… and more able to simply be in it.
And the relationships that formed in those spaces— they weren’t secondary to the mission.
They were part of it.
That doesn’t happen when we’re constantly moving.
It happens when we’re willing to slow down enough to actually be there.
Why This Matters for Us
For those of us serving first responders, leading ministries, carrying real weight—this matters more than we often acknowledge.
Because there will always be:
another need
another call
another situation that requires attention
The work doesn’t slow down.
Which means we have to decide:
Will we try to sustain it ourselves? Or will we allow God to sustain us in it?
An Invitation
Rest is not the absence of calling. It is the posture that makes calling sustainable.
So this is an encouragement—especially if you feel like you don’t have time for it:
Take the time anyway.
Whether that’s at a Leaders Summit, the National Conference, or simply setting aside intentional space—
Dare to stop the work of your hands. Bend your knee.
Not because the work isn’t important— but because you believe He can do more than you ever could.
And that being with Him is not a delay to the mission…
It’s what makes it possible.
If this article stirred something in you, you’re not alone. If you need prayer, support, or someone to connect with, we’re here to help you take the next step toward hope.Please reach out to us through our Contact Us page, or leave a comment below.
To sign up for our next Leaders’ Summit or register for the National Networking Conference, visit our Events page.
Esprit de Corps means “the spirit of the body” and describes a defining aspect of what it means to be a U.S. Marine. This spirit is embodied in values such as Honor, Courage, and Commitment, with unity, motivation, and teamwork as its core tenets. I hesitate to even write about this because I have never been a Marine, and I do not want to bring any dishonor to the brave men and women of the Marine Corps. I reference esprit de corps here only as an illustrative example.
Lessons from the Police Academy
I remember going through the Police Academy and focusing heavily on the values we, as police officers, were expected to embody – both before and after we were sworn in. Those values closely mirrored those of the Marine Corps: Honor, Courage, Commitment, Teamwork, Fidelity, Integrity, and more. In a very real sense, we had our own esprit de corps.
Having never been in the military, this was my first experience learning what it meant to come to attention, salute, form lines, walk in formation, and properly wear a uniform. These practices taught me the importance of following the chain of command and staying in cadence with my sergeant and classmates. Any distraction or deviation from that cadence instantly caused dysfunction and chaos – followed quickly by a “chewing-out” and extra push-ups. As long as we stayed in step with our sergeant, things went smoothly.
When Values Become Ideals Instead of a Way of Life
One thing I noticed over time is that unless values are deeply rooted in who you are, they can slowly shift from being a way of life to becoming mere ideals – especially as a first responder’s career grows darker and more difficult. It’s not that those values stop mattering; rather, the weight of the job can gradually pull you away from the esprit de corps if you’re not careful.
Ironically, in moments of crisis, those values often rise to the surface and hold us together. But once the crisis passes, the same values that sustained us can be pushed aside again.
The Christian’s Esprit de Corps: The Spirit of the Body
As Christians, we also have an esprit de corps – the Spirit of the Body. The parallels are striking, though there are important differences.
The day you were saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9), placing your trust in Jesus Christ – who died for your sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day – you became a son or daughter of God (1 Corinthians 15:3–4; John 1:12). At that moment, the Holy Spirit came to live inside you, and your body became His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). You were placed into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), commonly referred to as being “in Christ.”
With that placement came many realities and privileges that now belong to you as a child of God. I want to focus on a few of them here.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Already Yours
Galatians 5:22–23 tells us:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…”
This fruit – this evidence of the Holy Spirit living within you – is not something you have to manufacture. You received the Holy Spirit the day you were saved, and with Him came this fruit in its fullness.
Like Marines or first responders, believers have values we are called to live out. The difference is crucial: in one setting, those values must be worked toward and maintained through effort. As believers, these qualities already reside within us. As we grow in Christ, the fruit of the Spirit becomes increasingly evident in our daily lives.
When that fruit is absent, it is not because it has disappeared, but because we have chosen to walk in the flesh rather than be led by the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 reminds us:
“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Why Focus on Joy?
For the remainder of this post, I want to focus on just one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit: joy. The same principles could easily apply to love or peace.
If joy is already mine in its fullness, why do I so often lack it? Am I supposed to be joyful at all times? And if so, what exactly is joy?
Most believers – and even some non-believers – recognize that happiness and joy are not the same thing. Happiness is often tied to favorable circumstances. Joy, however, can and should exist in the believer’s life regardless of circumstances. More on that in a moment.
“He’s Where the Joy Is”
This year, my daughter and I have been reading through the Bible together using The Bible Recap for Kids by Tara-Leigh Cobble. Each daily reading ends with the phrase: “He’s where the joy is!”
That simple sentence stopped me in my tracks. It caused me to reconsider not just the topic of joy, but its true source.
That led me to Paul’s letter to the Philippians – a letter centered more on joy and rejoicing than any other he wrote. When Paul penned this letter, he was imprisoned in Rome. Persecution and suffering for Christians were widespread throughout the Roman Empire, and only a few years later, under Nero, Paul would be martyred.
Long before that, however, Paul had already endured extraordinary suffering for Christ. So how could he write, in Philippians 4:4,
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”?
The answer is simple and profound: Paul learned that joy is not found in circumstances or people. Jesus is where the joy is.
Joy is the settled confidence and peace that comes from knowing Jesus is present with us at all times and in all places – and that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38–39). The worst our enemies can do is harm or kill the body; they can never take eternal life from us. And Jesus has promised that the best is yet to come.
How does this truth play out for first responders who repeatedly enter darkness – and sometimes return home to it?
How Darkness Erodes Joy
That darkness originates from multiple places: our own sin, the sin of others, and the brokenness of the world. Over time, even believing first responders can become jaded, cynical, and suspicious of everyone around them – including their own families. There is no joy there.
So how did we get here?
Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus Again
When we lose sight of our esprit de corps and our true position in Christ – our real identity—we have taken our eyes off the source of joy.
Hebrews 12:1–2 (CSB) tells us to:
“…lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”
Verse 2 continues:
“For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.”
Jesus is our source of joy. In the midst of the greatest suffering ever known, He fixed His eyes on the Father and on the joy set before Him – the redemption of you and me. He endured the cross, paying a debt that should have been ours, and He did so with joy.
When we take our eyes off Jesus, we fall out of step with the Holy Spirit – who is always in step with Christ, who is always in step with the Father. Our cadence breaks down. And we begin asking questions like:
Is everyone else out of step – or is it just me?
Did the fruit of the Spirit run out?
Did Jesus abandon me?
Joy Belongs to You – But It Can Be Surrendered
Here’s the truth: joy belongs to you because you have the Holy Spirit. Nothing and no one can separate you from Him. And nothing and no one can take away the joy that is yours in Christ.
However, by taking your eyes off Jesus – by choosing sin or walking in the flesh – you can surrender your joy. When that happens, you lose the capacity to experience joy, even though it still belongs to you.
Returning to the Place of Joy
If you find yourself lacking joy, take inventory.
Are you reading Scripture so you can truly know who Jesus is and who you are in Him? Or are you choosing to live life your own way, only to discover the truth of Proverbs 14:12:
“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
Maybe you know your identity in Christ but have forgotten what it means. Perhaps it’s time for a reminder.
Surrender your way by confessing sin. 1 John 1:9 promises:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
When we do this, fellowship with Him is restored. Remain in that posture of humble surrender – and you will find yourself once again in the place of experiencing joy.
If this article stirred something in you, you’re not alone. If you need prayer, support, or someone to connect with, we’re here to help you take the next step toward hope.Please reach out to us through our Contact Us page, or leave a comment below.
