Daniel is one of my Bible heroes. Despite the fact that he was taken from his homeland as a young teen, he managed to navigate the evils of ancient Babylon in a way that glorified God and didn’t make himself a stench to the people around him.
What lessons can we learn from Daniel?
How did he do this? And what lessons from Daniel can we carry into our own lives?
How did Daniel stand firm without coming off as a know-it-all?
First, he didn’t come off as a know-it-all. When he first arrived in Babylon, he was introduced to a new diet. He and his friends quickly realized if they ate the food and wine given to them, they would break the religious regulations they held dear. Instead, they asked the official in charge of food to let them eat only what they wanted instead of consuming the delicacies they were expected to eat.
The official was compassionate but also afraid that allowing Daniel and his friends to eat only vegetables and drink only water would leave them looking listless. And if that happened, the official could get into trouble with the king. Daniel wisely suggested they try it for ten days. If they looked weaker than the others, they would reconsider.
Daniel didn’t pooh-pooh the official’s concern, and he didn’t tell him the eight reasons why his way was better. He just suggested they give it a try and go from there.
How did Daniel speak the truth with tact?
Second, Daniel mastered the art of tact. Tact is an understanding of how to deal with others, especially when it comes to sensitive issues. When the executioner knocked on Daniel’s door, Daniel struck up a conversation and asked for an audience with the king, which was granted.
A different time, when Daniel interpreted a dream that did not bode well for King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel started his interpretation with, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!” (Daniel 4:19). He couldn’t change the interpretation, but he could make sure Nebuchadnezzar understood it pained him to give the interpretation he had to give.
How did Daniel live for God’s approval alone?
And third, Daniel lived for the approval of God and God alone. By the time Daniel chronicled his elder years in what is now Daniel chapters 5 and 6, it is clear that he was respected, but also odd man out. He wasn’t hanging out over drinks with the other execs and admins. He kept his nose down, did his work, and prayed three times a day. He couldn’t be bought or swayed or threatened into forsaking his habits that tethered him to God.
How can we be in the world but not of it like Daniel?
Daniel and his three friends mastered the art of living with both truth and love. They stood for truth and refused to do anything that would dishonor God. But they lived in Babylon, spoke the language, did their work, and didn’t burn bridges. It seems they’d be the kind of people the official in charge of food, the executioner, and Nebuchadnezzar would say hey to if they saw them walking down the street.
And that seems to be a pretty good goal for us too, one that isn’t always easy but might be the most effective way to invite people into the kingdom of God. Even if they aren’t persuaded to dive headfirst into Christianity, at the very least it keeps the door open.
