P.O.L.I.C.E. in Action

Tragedy can break us, or make us. It may sound like a cliché but there is a lot of truth to that statement. Many people have faced devastating events with an attitude that not only helps them get through, but even inspires others to persevere as well.

For the apostle Paul, he regarded his prison experience as a greater benefit for the church, since “my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God's message without fear.” (Philippians 1:14)

He also said in Romans 8:28, “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” While we would probably all agree attitude makes the difference, we still hurt when devastations enter our lives.

Counselors work diligently trying to help people cope with losses. They may give advice like:

1. Don’t deny yourself the chance to grieve.
2. Be patient with the process.
3. Acknowledge your feelings, even the ones you don't like.
4. Get support.
5. Try to maintain your normal lifestyle.
6. Take care of yourself.

As we study through the lives of people in scripture who had to deal with tragedies, it’s encouraging to be able to see their method of coping, or their dialog, and especially how God helps them. In the book of Ruth, we get to read about how God helped her in her grief.

Due to a famine and probably civil war, Naomi left with her family to the pagan country of Moab. However, while she was there, more tragedy struck leaving her, and her two daughters-in-law, widowed. Broken and hurting she decides her homeland is where she should be.

When she reflected on her life, she told the people of Bethlehem, “Don't call me Naomi. Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?"

Although most of the story is about her daughter-in-law and how she was invited into the lineage of David and ultimately of the Messiah, we get to see how God was blessing Naomi through Ruth, also.

Ruth helps us see how to help those dealing with depression and grief. First, she could sympathize with Naomi. After all, she lost her husband too, a man both Ruth and Naomi loved. Second, she was patient with Naomi. She stayed with her throughout all the trouble in Moab and even back to Bethlehem. Third, she did what was needed to take care of Naomi’s daily needs by finding a job, which allowed Naomi to maintain a normal lifestyle.

Basically, we see how compassionate Ruth was. However, Naomi must have lived in such a way that prompted both Orpah and Ruth to fall in love with her. Perhaps Naomi modeled tenderness, selflessness, and kindness in the early years to such a degree that she inspired Ruth to do the same.

This is what P.O.L.I.C.E. in action looks like. Every day we are given some kind of opportunity to model P.O.L.I.C.E., that stands for Perseverance, Obedience, Loyalty, Inspiration, Courage, and Encouragement. Let’s follow the wonderful examples from scriptures and be a light to the hurting. We can encourage and inspire the next generation to let their light shine even brighter.