Growing up, I always heard the ideal Christian was someone who didn’t drink, cuss, chew, or date women who did. Maybe because that’s an easy standard to achieve. That’s why it surprised me when a couple of high-stress encounters squeezed an old expletive out of me, one I thought I had long forsaken. For some reason, it’s always the same word.

The first time it occurred, I was a young cop chasing an armed suspect who ran from a traffic stop. When he ran behind a house, I naturally followed. I rounded the corner to find him suddenly stopped and facing me. Startled, I pointed my pistol and shouted, “Get your — on the ground now!” Wow, where did that come from? I thought. I was more concerned about the word than the fact that he could have shot me.

Years later, a detective asked me to help him locate an attempted murder suspect. The two of us approached the girlfriend’s apartment, only to find her acting squirrely. When we asked her if he was inside, she wouldn’t respond. That told us all we needed to know. I racked a shotgun and shouted. “Get your —- out here now!” As the guy came out with hands up, I thought, Hmmmmm, I am noticing a pattern here.

More recently, I confronted a very large inmate who refused to return to his jail cell. He said I would have to put him in the cell. “Blankety-blank-blank!” He yelled. He was decades younger and a hundred pounds heavier than me. Oh, great, I thought; this is going to hurt. Someone nearby had the sense to call for back-up, and I found the wisdom not to get beat-up before they arrived. When help got there, I let the word rip.

“Get your — in the cell now!” I shouted. The rather lengthy rant reminded me that I am still a work in progress. I haven’t arrived yet. I must agree with the Apostle Paul, who said, “And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” (Romans 7:18)

Unfortunately, this isn’t my only flaw. I have worse. But please don’t judge the Savior by the quality of the sinner He has saved. He offers His best to the very worst of us. If the object of His grace looks like a morally degenerate rogue, it’s possibly because that is what we are. That may be a great turn-off to some, but it should offer great hope to the rest of us sinners. There is no one beyond the reach of His mercy.

“Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 7:24,25)