“Excellence means representing the reputation of Christ well. It means doing all things as best as
you can” by Stephen Kendrick
No matter where life takes us, it’s a Christian allegiance to strive for excellence in all that
they do; whether they are a student, working in their profession, spending time with family and
friends or by yourself. It’s important that Christians have a source of motivation to reference to,
that will remind them every day of what drives them to be the best version of themselves. The
bible states “Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
through him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17 NLT). This scripture proves that no matter
what happens in life, we are to be representatives of Christ. Looking to work in the Criminal
Justice Field, “requires for all professionals to be truthful in all that they do and have integrity
and share the truth effectively for those involved.”(Academic Integrity).
One way a Christian can strive for excellence in their writing, is to provide truth in all
that they write even if its verbal. It is important, to always tell the truth for God wants all of his
followers to be honest as he states in the bible “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the
unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” (Proverbs 11:3 NIV). As professionals in the
Criminal Justice field it’s important that we provide truth in the information we provide even
when it involves written reports, verbal statements, in the court rooms and so much more. It’s
always important to remain honest and leave the facts as they are. In no shape or form, facts
should not be changed once they are proven even when there are opinions involved. Even more
so, honesty is pivotal of report writing and is essential because those statements go for a long run
that may lead to positive or negative consequences. Dishonesty can lead to mistrust and a gap of
uncertainty that can possibly take the focus off the goal of serving justice. Pertaining to “Just the
Facts” this book states “When an investigator fulfills this obligation and acts ethically, the
system has the best chance to operate effectively.” (Biggs, 2016, pg.127).
Another way a Christian’s faith motivates her toward excellence in writing is to remain
unbiased and to only stick to the facts. Plus, it’s important to know when to implement his or her
opinion in the appropriate times. Several examples to use an opinion, is based on the presented
information given for instance. According to the Second scenario in “Just the Facts”
An “investigator sees the symptoms of alcohol influence on the person’s ability to operate
a motor vehicle in a safe and prudent manner. Based off the signs of being under the influence of
alcohol while driving. The investigator forms an opinion that driver is operating a vehicle under
the influence of alcohol and arrests him for that offense.” (Biggs, 2016, pg. 128). In this scenario,
the investigator used his best judgement base off the information that was given to form an
appropriate opinion. Therefore, it’s not our place to judge for whatever we may come to face.
God states “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you
will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:2, NIV).
The third and final way one’s Christian’s faith motives her to strive towards excellence in
writing is to embrace the gifts and talents that was given by God. Even if it’s in writing, being
active in sports, investigating, acting or playing an instrument. It’s important, that we are
confident in the individuality, and purpose the creator has put on our lives in order to be
effective in whatever we do. To conclude its key that individuals should withhold the principles
of being honest, having faith and integrity in everything that we do.
References
Biggs, Michael. (2016). Just the Facts: Investigative Report Writing. Nd. Pearson
Presentation: Academic Integrity, Retrieved from
-https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?
course_id=_756594_1&content_id=_46901864_1
