Cool Stories
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,” (Romans 15:4)
Many years ago, working part-time at the Indians stadium, I met a young couple. The man’s t-shirt read, “COOL STORY, BABE. NOW GO MAKE ME A SANDWICH.” I was amazed he would wear that shirt in front of her. Then she explained, “That’s what I say to him.”
As a cop, you will often be able to tell “cool stories” because you will have experiences most people do not have. Keep a notebook handy. When something worthy of note happens on duty, write down details. Do not trust your memory. Over time and after many experiences, your memory will likely fade.
Police anecdotes are often useful. You may be able to tell a funny story, or recount an incident where good tactics saved your life or bad tactics almost got you killed. Tell other officers, especially those new on the job, so they can avoid the same mistake. A story of a great arrest can motivate other officers to do their best. An account of a horrific event you endured can help others who go through something similar.
One great place to find “cool stories” is the Bible. The story of Jonathan and his armourbearer is one. Jonathan was an Israeli military officer. He loved God and Israel. The idol-worshiping Philistines had taken over Israel. Jonathan’s father, King Saul, did nothing. Jonathan and his armourbearer took on a Philistine military unit. Outnumbered ten to one, they defeated the enemy and motivated others to fight.
Before they went to battle, Jonathan gave these inspiring words to his armourbearer, “Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.” (1 Samuel 14:6)
The story of David and Goliath is another great story. Goliath, a giant, challenged Israel to a one-on-one duel to the death. No takers. Then David came. He also loved God and Israel. He told Goliath, “This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God is Israel.” (1 Samuel 17:46) And that he did.
In each of these confrontations, it was a desperate situation for Israel. We also see three qualities in the lives of Jonathan and David: 1) physical readiness to do the job; 2) willingness to do right and face danger even if others didn’t; and 3) most importantly, trust in the Lord, giving all the glory to Him.
If you’re a cop, notice they also didn’t say, “No one else is doing this, so I won’t” or “I don’t want to be called a hot dog” or “My boss may whine if I use force because he’ll have to investigate it” or “I do not want to be flagged for excessive force for pulling my gun.” Confronting bad guys is a dangerous job. Do it right. Pull your gun if you must. Make a report about pulling your gun if you must. If others don’t want to do the job right, shame on them. Don’t be like them. If being on God’s side means standing alone, do it.
These words of Jonathan and David did not come from some motivational website, but from the Bible, God’s word. Bible stories are also not just “cool stories.” Just as you might write down stories so people later would benefit from them, God had stories and truths put into His word to motivate and help you.
The most important story in the Bible is the story of Jesus, God the Son. He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. To see how to receive Jesus as your personal Saviour and have eternal life, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 6/19/2026
