If we don’t learn to say no in the small things, we won’t be able to say no in the big things...
First
Things First:
Pray for God to reveal ways you can make daily small choices of
righteousness as you read Daniel 1.
Going
Deeper:
Do
seemingly small choices really matter?
In the grand scheme of things, does it matter if you just watch ONE
episode of that ungodly TV show, just ONE time of gossiping with teachers about
a student… I mean, it’s just ONCE right?
If
you grew up in church, the story of Daniel and the lions den is your first
encounter with him. And it is
remarkable, certainly. But there is so
much more we can learn from Daniel. He
was thrown into a wild, pagan world, yet it never permeated his heart. The Babylonian king was pretty smart---he had
taken teenagers, placed them in a palace that screamed to them from every angle
to give up on God, embrace the culture, taste success by following the
Babylonian way. Most teens would easily
succumb to that kind of peer pressure lifestyle.
But
not Daniel. He was in a divinely
appointed place for proclaiming God to an unbelieving nation. Daniel made a seemingly small choice. He resolved to not eat from the king’s
table. It seems rather
insignificant…does it really matter about a meal?
But
the issue was bigger than vegetables vs. steak.
Daniel knew if he didn’t exercise restraint, the king’s tactic would be
successful and he would slowly assimilate into this pagan culture. So daily, in the quiet moments of eating,
while others feasted on the king’s food, Daniel remembered the Greater King to
Whom he belonged and to where his true citizenship lies.
He
made daily, small choices of righteousness.
Choices that in their quietness trumpeted to this pagan world that he
did not belong there. Daniel didn’t
proclaim God loudly, nor did he bellow his beliefs up and down the main
square. He resolved in his own heart to
follow God, ignore even the smallest hints of assimilating with the culture,
and ultimately, did not become a lion’s dinner because of his unrelenting
faithfulness.
So,
yes, those “small choices” matter. That
one TV show matters. That one gossiping
moment matters. Daniel wouldn’t have
been able to hold his distinctive stand if he hadn’t made those conscious,
daily, right choices. If we don’t learn
to say no in the small things, we won’t be able to say no in the big
things.
Take
a look at your “small choices.” The ones
where you tend to say, “Ahhh,
it’s all right….Just this once.”
Resolve
to be a Daniel. With every “no,’ you say
to the culture that you don’t belong here.
With every “no”, you tell them where your citizenship lies. With every “no,” you are farther from assimilating
into
the culture and farther into communion with your Father.
And,
just like Daniel, you’ll escape the lions.
Because we know our enemy prowls like a roaring lion seeking whom He may
devour. He’s trying to devour you by
telling you these small things don’t matter.
But, oh yes, they do.
Let’s
all resolve to be a Daniel today.
Classroom Connections and Life
Applications:
1. What has God revealed to you are
the “small choices” you are making that are displeasing to Him?
2. What is a “small choice” you are
making at school where you are saying ‘yes’ but you should be saying ‘no’ as
Daniel would have done? (Example: gossiping about a student, ignoring someone
who needs help because they haven’t been listening to your lesson, etc)
3. How do small choices of
righteousness lead to making big choices of righteousness?
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