Made to Make a Difference

Bible Passage: Daniel 1:8-15

Introduction

For the first time in nearly two years, I didn’t exercise for 12 full days. We walked a lot and one evening my red ring on my watch was almost closed so I walked on the treadmill on the boat for about 10 or 15 minutes. But I didn’t run at all from the day we left for our trip until the day after we got back. I thought it would be difficult for me. But it turns out I’m pretty adept at being lazy. But we’re back now and I’ve run four out of the last seven days. Before we left, I had been prepping for a really long run so I was running at least 20 miles a week. This week I’m back to 16 miles so far. Not sure if I’ll run again today or not. So why should you care? Well I’ve noticed these last few days that brief hiatus didn’t completely derail me, but my legs feel kind of like they’re full of led. I’ve had some days of soreness like when you first start exercising, not as bad, but I can tell I took a long break. Plus I ate like a lot so I’m carrying a little extra with me, so it’s harder.

Now lets change the direction of this little revealing discussion. Yes, that means I’m going to ask you some questions. During our Bible Study this week that covered last weeks sermon on our reluctance to pray … some Bible scholar said, if you want to make people uncomfortable just start asking about their prayer life. So are you ready to feel uncomfortable, cause we’re going there. How many of you would say, I’m a prayer warrior … when I start to pray Satan gets nervous? How about I’m someone who prays on a daily basis, maybe no demons are quaking, but I’m a least giving it a go? How about I say grace before I eat and I can still remember, Now I lay me down to sleep … remember that terrifying we teach kids to pray and then wonder why they can’t sleep after we just told them to ask God to take care of them if they die in their sleep? Or maybe you’re in this category of I know prayer is something I should be doing, but if I’m honest my prayer life is weak. I’ll be honest with all of you. I pray daily, but I don’t think any beings are sweating it.

1. Resolve to be Different

Daniel 1:8–10 “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, ‘I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.’”

Resolve to follow God’s will

Identify where you cannot bend

Pray for God’s help

Firmly commit to not defile yourself

Seek help from others

Ask for help where appropriate

Pray before seeking

Be bold but not rude (not for show)

Wait for God’s compassion

Be patient, answers not always immediate

Prayer helps with the needed patience

Thank God when He makes a way

There will not always be a clear example like this in every life. But you may run across circumstances in life that will challenge you. Years ago I was leading a program at work and I was asked for an estimate on the time required to complete some work. I wrote out the steps and gave my honest assessment of what was required and how long it would take. I made it clear that I was not willing to be dishonest in my assessment and if they didn’t want me to tell the customer then I needed to be left out of the meeting or told to sit there with my mouth closed. I just made it clear if anyone asked I would tell the truth. They were not happy I even saw an email where the our direct customer said very strongly that I needed to be fired. That was 12 years ago. I’m still employed.

2. Propose an Alternative

Daniel 1:11–15 “Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ‘Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.’ So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food.”

Come up with a plan

Find an acceptable path

Cover the plan in prayer

Prepare your proposal

Propose your plan

Give those in charge an alternative

Keeping praying for the plan

Wait for a response, ready to stand firm

Stick to the plan

Diligently stick to your plan

Pray some more for strength

Rejoice in God’s answers and results

When I faced that situation I don’t know at the time that I recognized it immediately as clearly a choice between following God and being drug along by the culture. But it became evident quickly it was. Every year we watch a video on ethics and declare our willingness to do what is right. In our work we have lots of regulations and rules about truth and honesty in bidding contracts. Most of those come from our government. They want to make sure our tax dollars are being spent appropriately. But I still find regularly that our ideas of what truth means are not always the same. Scripture says let your yes be yes and your no be no. In other words, there is not room for dishonesty. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been encouraged to put an overly optimistic (i.e.; bold faced lie) estimate knowing if we bid low enough we’ll win and then they’ll have to pay for what it actually costs in the end anyway.

3. Seek Welfare Where You Are

Jeremiah 29:4–7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

God speaks to his exiles

He sent you to this place

You are where you belong

He has a plan for you

Settle in and live your life

Build houses and live in them

Give your children in marriage

Raise the next generation where you are

Seek the welfare of the city

Pray for your government

Engage and be part of society

You will find your welfare with your nation

As you settle in and become part of a community, we’re called to do our part in praying for our government. In our society, the government requires your participation. It means you should be out there voting and giving your input into the process as much or as little as our government system allows. We are fortunate that though on the whole the Christian Church is now looked on by them as a social ill (judgmental, hypocritical, homophobic, etc.) we are still permitted and expected to have an active part in it. I’m sure you’ve heard recently the quote “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” It’s generally attributed to the wrong person, but you get the point. We’re not to sit by and watch Rome burn. Be the light God intended for you to be, not the thorn some have come to believe we are intended to be.