Find that Front Site


          While thinking about a devotion for my SWAT team this week I wanted to share something about “focus”. This group trains long hours and is expected to perform above average when they are called on. As I was preparing for my Tuesday morning ten minutes of fame, I kept coming back to Philippians 3; a new group of trainees just joined the team and the entire group would be going over basics for the week of training. I wanted to share something that was both inspirational but instructional. I view my job as their Chaplain the exact way I look at my job being the Pastor at my church.

            So while waiting to share what God had given me about focus I hear the instructor explaining to a shooter the importance of his front site on his gun. I have heard this for years and, like them, I know that your front site is important but something was said on the range on this morning that really stuck with me. Here were the instructor’s comments:

            “You have to find your front site every time. Why? Because your front site determines where the round (bullet for those who may not know) goes.”

            When he said that I completely zoned out what was going on because I knew I had found my illustration. Here is yesterday’s devotion:

             Why is the front site so important? Isn’t it because your front site is the most important part of shooting? Sure your posture matters but you can have perfect posture and if you don’t find your front site you’re gonna miss! Grip is important but same as before matters. But to the contrary, you can have a terrible grip and poor posture but if you put your front site on target you will hit your mark. Obviously I’m not here to do firearms training. I’m here for something much more important.

            Where is your front site in life? On a weapon the front site is important because it’s constant. Everything else is a variable. Your input. Your target. The weather. The conditions. All of those things may change but your front site determines where the round goes. And in life whatever we treat as our front site will determine where our lives go. I have chosen faith in Jesus as my front site. That determines my direction, my choices, and my life. In life, everything else is just static. While my family is so important to me, my faith in Christ is even more important. When I make a decision I check my front site before I check with my family. My job is important to be but I check my front site, my faith in Christ, before I check my job status.

            What is your front site? What is that constant in your life that determines where your life is going? If you don’t have it then you may look good, you may have all the outer parts in order but you will miss your target. Your front site can’t be emotional, unstable, or constantly moving. It’s easy to understand that on a gun but please don’t underestimate your front site in your life.

            Paul said in Philippians 3 that he forgot the things behind him and instead “FOCUSED” on things ahead, namely his calling from Jesus (my translation). He was focused on things ahead but it was all in context of his calling in Jesus Christ. I believe deep down that law enforcement is a calling to those who do it well and can’t imagine life without it you have to know it’s a calling. Some may disagree but it doesn’t change what I believe. If that is the case for you then please take Paul’s advice and find that front site for your life. Everything else is static and noise compared to your front site. Your input is only as important as your front site. And your ability to function, not only as law enforcement, but as a person is dependent on your front site. Find it gentlemen! Find it, focus on it, and determine in your life that you will find your front site every time you pull the trigger.

            You see, on the range if you don’t find your front site you may miss a paper target. On the street if you don’t find your front site it can mean life and death and for you. But in life if you miss the mark it could mean the destruction of countless lives of the people you love more than anything on this earth.

            Find your front site every single time, and more often than not, you won’t miss.

            Let’s pray!
 

Have a great week!
Pastor Dad

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