At heart, police officers are as deeply human as anyone else, guided by the same universal priorities and desires that shape all our lives. What gives life meaning? What is truly worth pursuing? What sustains us through hardship? Regardless of social status, background, or rank, all people, including police officers, share a longing for fulfillment, purpose, and connection.
If you ask any group of officers what truly matters, their answers will mirror those in every walk of life—family, health, relationships, a sense of well-being. There are recurring themes that cut across professions and societies: the quests for money, attachment, power, approval, and security. These needs are often expressed in our daily choices. If you’re a law enforcement officer, I bet your reason for entering this line of work was a personal calling to serve, a quest for justice, a desire to protect the vulnerable, or a more practical ambition like pursuing financial stability or professional respect. While we may express our motivations in terms unique to policing, beneath the surface, we are animated by timeless human desires and ambitions. Stated simply, everyone is interested in the pursuit of money, sex, or power.
A yearning for a new patrol car or confidence in a strong pension is ultimately linked to the pursuit of comfort and financial security. A longing for camaraderie, a solid marriage, or proud family connections echoes our need for intimacy and love. Aspirations for promotion, leadership responsibilities, or influence within the department tap into our desire for recognition, control, and power.
Why are we driven in this way? Because all of us, whether we realize it or not, are worshipers. Our inclination to worship isn’t limited to overt religious practice. As A. W. Tozer observed, “Without worship, we go about miserable.” The concept of worship, rooted in the old English idea of “worthship,” speaks to what each of us holds highest in our hearts—what, above all else, we value. In public service, it’s easy for the badge itself to assume that status, becoming more than a tool—becoming a source of pride, identity, and at times, a substitute for deeper meaning.
For police officers, this can be both a source of strength and a hidden trap. Devotion to the ideals embodied in our uniform—service, sacrifice, brotherhood—can sustain us through the deepest adversity. But if we give absolute value to status, power, or the fleeting rewards of the profession, we risk compromise. When career advancement, overtime, or accolades blind us to our own weaknesses, or when camaraderie turns into conformity, we step into dangerous territory.
David Foster Wallace once observed that “there is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” We all center our lives on something, and what we choose to value most shapes our character and destiny. When we lose sight of meaning, when our only motivation is the next paycheck, the next notch in our belt, or the fleeting adrenaline of authority, we lose touch with the higher calling on which lasting satisfaction is built.
A sense of purpose gives resilience in the face of trauma, criticism, and disappointment—all common in policing. Studies have shown that people with a deeply rooted sense of purpose are not only more satisfied, but also healthier in mind and body, less prone to substance abuse and depression, and more likely to weather adversity with strength and hope. In law enforcement, these lessons have crucial relevance. Officers without a clear compass—lacking a vision beyond the daily grind—find themselves more vulnerable to cynicism, burnout, and ethical lapses. By contrast, those who see their work as a mission—driven by justice, service, and integrity—find deeper purpose and are better equipped to handle the burdens of the job.
Yet, the dangers of misplaced worship are real and stark. If we elevate money, sex, or power above all else, we set ourselves up for disappointment, dissatisfaction, even disaster. David Foster Wallace’s words capture the futility, even for police officers:
“If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough…
…worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you…
…worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your fear…” (From David Foster Wallace’s 2005 Commencement Address at Kenyon University.)
Ultimately, our objects of devotion shape our identity. What we worship, we become. Officers who tirelessly chase possessions may find themselves defined by empty accumulation. Those focused only on recognition risk sacrificing ethics and humanity for applause. Others who make power their chief pursuit can become hardened, cold, and disconnected from the very communities they vowed to serve.
Deep down, every police officer faces the same struggle as everyone else: Will my life be defined by the temporary or the lasting, by what fades or what matters forever? If our worship is directed only toward what can be seen and measured—career milestones, recognition, power—we are left vulnerable to the emptiness of it all. There is, however, another way: to anchor ourselves in the God who created us.
If you haven’t yet done that, there is no better time than now. A time is coming when you will eventually face the limits of status, accomplishments, and possessions. In both struggle and service, the lesson is clear: the meaning we seek and the character we build are determined by what and Who we worship. To learn more about the importance of properly directed worship and how it contributes to human flourishing and establishes the reliability of the Biblical record, please read The Truth in True Crime: What Investigating Death Teaches Us About the Meaning of Life.
Investigator/Pastor/Chaplain M.C. Williams
July 28, 2025 at 2:10 pm
Outstanding my brother. God bless you.