But Daniel purposed in his
heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s
delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank
Daniel 1:8
Life is filled
with choices. It’s a mixture of gifts and challenges. The book of Daniel is a
great primer on how to successfully navigate significant challenges in life. Usually,
Daniel is most remembered for surviving a trip to a lion’s den. By the way,
that’s not a bad way to be remembered. But, there’s much more to Daniel than
one event. Chapter one begins with an explanation of how Daniel is selected to
serve the King of Babylon. He is chosen and carried away because of his
appearance, intellect and potential to serve the Babylonian empire. It’s a
pretty strong intro for a youngster. But, there’s more to Daniel than his
leadership potential. At an early age, Daniel learned that character matters.
Imagine the pressure of being in a strange place, receiving a new name and
engaging in an intentional Babylonian enculturation process. In the midst of
this new world, Daniel had the courage to say “no”. He based his decision on
the conviction of his heart. It’s a defining moment in Daniel’s life and it’s
an exemplary lesson for us today. Integrity rests on the congruence between
conviction and behavior. Integrity requires us to possess enough resolve to be willing and able to say
“yes” and “no”. We respond to culture according to a heart that has been
redeemed for God’s purposes and a mind that has been transformed by His Spirit
rather than the pressures of the world around us. We have the benefit of
watching how Daniel’s early choice helped him develop strong character that was
required to face significant challenges later in his life. Regardless of our
age, our godly choices contribute to the development of our character in the
future.
