“But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.”
Daniel “made up his mind”- and that was the game changer.
What he believed dictated what he did. His obedience wasn’t a test run to see if it was beneficial – he decided to completely follow God. There is a difference between those two positions.
As a coach, it’s easy to differentiate between athletes who make up their mind to commit to improvement … and those negotiating their effort based on risk and reward. In your peer group, it is not hard to distinguish between men who are committed to pursuing Jesus, and those who are just keeping God around in case they need Him. Daniel “had made up his mind” to chase what matters. Total obedience was his Plan “A” … and there was no Plan “B”.
What is your Plan? When people look at you do they see a hearer of the Word, or a doer? Do you just talk a good game … or are you someone who has made up their mind not to be defiled?
Daniel’s faith made men want to learn more about his convictions … The guard who allowed Daniel to deviate from the king’s diet, risked as much as Daniel did… Daniel’s faith led this man to more than a dietary adjustment. It prompted him to consider God, even at his own peril.
Interestingly, Daniel doesn’t accomplish this by belligerently demanding compliance to his beliefs, he respectfully negotiates the opportunity for God to show His power… trusting God for the outcome.
There is a lesson there for me. I don’t have to win the argument; I just have to win the opportunity to show what God has done in my life, and that opportunity is seldom won by words alone.
I must make up my mind not to defile myself, to “walk what I talk”, so that my life can be a light in the darkness that leads others to God… It may be hard at times, but it is not complicated…I just have to make up my mind to do what He says.
“In the end, our worship is more about what we do than what we say.”
Louie Giglio
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