Daniel 1:8 (AMP)
8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile (taint, dishonor) himself with the [a]king’s finest food or with the wine which the king drank; so he asked the commander of the officials that he might [be excused so that he would] not defile himself.
Daniel was a young man probably a teenager in a strange land away from his family culture and friends. Peer pressure to conform must have been one of the things he had to overcome. Don’t they say that when you go to Rome you must do what the Romans do? But that’s just the thing, Daniel lived a life of conviction, a life of purpose and faith.
In a bold move he refuses to partake of the food that others are freely enjoying because it was against what he believed and where his life was headed, he was a man with a purpose and his purpose was to please God.
Daniel purposed in his heart, meaning he had determined in his heart way before this situation came that he would not defile himself no matter what the consequences he had to face. His request was not only endangering his life but also the lives of others but Daniel could not be stopped because he was a man consistent in his faith no matter where he was or the circumstances he was in.
Put yourself in his shoes, would you have risked your life because of your faith? Would you have been consistent in your beliefs or would you have compromised because after all, God would understand, you had no choice. We always have a choice, the thing is we don’t like the consequences of certain choices and so we go the other way and say we had no choice. Daniel chose to be consistent in his faith no matter what.
It is said that purpose makes demands on an individual and discipline is one of the demands. Daniel would not engage in anything that would destroy his relationship with God. God came first in his life.
Do you want to thrive even in that harsh environment that you find yourself in? Then be a man / woman of consistent faith and purpose. No one loves a person who is not firm about where they are going in life and what they believe.
Reflections
What are some of the things in your life that are none negotiable no matter what? Mention four.
Have you ever been in situation that challenged your non negotiable? What happened?
Do you know your purpose? What is it? If you have no idea begin to ask God to reveal it to you.
