No Compromise

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; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. - Daniel 1:8

     The past week has been busy and stressful. Obviously, by my lack of posting, I have been a little overwhelmed. When I do find some spare time, the last thing I want to do is write since that seems like work. In the middle of this craziness, I began reading about Daniel. The first seven verses of the book tell the tale of Babylon taking Judah captive. We learn that Nebuchadnezzar wants the best and brightest young men to be trained in his court. Daniel happens to be one of these young men. He is put into the king's training program and offered the highest level of education and the very same food that the king receives. Not a bad situation for someone who was just taken captive! However, Daniel faces a major problem. Surprisingly, the King of Babylon doesn't follow Jewish dietary laws and Daniel does not want to compromise his beliefs. He requests to have a different meal plan, and rejects the King's food. As I reflect on this well-known story, I'm ashamed. Here's a young man, a teenager, torn from his home and thrown into the service of a pagan nation. He has lost everything and everyone. Yet, when he is offered a meal that is against God's law, he stands up for what is right. My busy schedule and the minor stress I am under is nothing compared to becoming a slave. I cannot even begin to relate to Daniel's situation, yet I do not have his resolve. I have put aside my blog writing and studying because of a little bit heavier workload. I have compromised what I feel God wants me to do simply because I have a little less free time. Oh, to have a heart like Daniel. There is no situation in which compromise is the answer. God always expects us to obey, no matter the cost, no matter how we feel. As I begin looking at Daniel's life, I am already amazed at the heart of this young man. May we all find the strength to be a little more like Daniel.