What have we allowed ourselves to become?

Daniel 1:8 (NIV) But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

I couldn’t help but think about the reality of what’s going on in our world today as I read over the first few chapters of Daniel. Believe it or not, there are similarities between what was going on in Daniel's day and the world today. I had to contemplated the following questions: Am I allowing our current culture to influence or change me? Do I hold fast to the teaching of the Lord and abide by biblical standards? Have I compromised who I am and what I believe to look like the world?

Daniel was a young Israelite when he was taken captive by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. To help the Jews assimilate into their new culture, the Babylonians tried to change:

• their thinking by educating them
• their loyalty by renaming them
• their life-style by the food they were given to eat.

Daniel drew the line when it came to food. People in the Jewish culture were forbidden to eat certain foods and Daniel refused to defile himself by eating what he was given. Although Daniel was in a culture that didn’t follow God’s laws, he didn’t compromise what he knew to be true. He remained faithful to God, and God honored him for it.

I see so many things we, as a nation and as individuals, have compromised. This great nation, founded on biblical truth, has grown “tolerant” of worldly things. I use Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary (see About Webster’s 1828 Dictionary below) quite a bit in my research, so it was there I found the definition of the word “tolerant”.

Tolerant (TOL'ERANT, a.) Enduring; indulgent; favoring toleration.

Wait… as a nation (and as individuals) we have become enduring and indulgent?

I had to look up the meaning of the words Enduring and Indulgent:

Enduring (ENDU'RING, ppr.) Lasting; continuing without perishing; bearing; sustaining; supporting with patience, or without opposition or yielding.

Indulgent (INDUL'GENT, a.) Yielding to the wishes, desires, humor or appetites of those under one's care; compliant; not opposing or restraining

What have we allowed ourselves to become? What have we allowed this nation to become? We have permitted ourselves to “yield to the wishes and desires” of this sin cursed world. Instead of standing out, we have “blended in” to the culture around us. As Christians, we are suppose to live by the standards of the Bible….without compromise.

The story of Daniel provides a great example of how to stand strong and remain faithful in the midst of an ungodly culture. Daniel resolved (dedicated to principle, to be committed to a course of action) to keep the commands of the Lord and not give in to the pressures around him.

Like Daniel, will you resolve to obey and remain faithful to God?

About Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary:

This dictionary was the first dictionary of the American language. Mr. Webster, the father of American education, established this dictionary as a system of rules to govern spelling, grammar, and reading. He understood the power of words, their definitions, and the need for precise word usage in communication to maintain independence. Webster used the Bible as the foundation for his definitions.

I am determined to stand firm...are you?

Daniel 3:16 - 18 (MSG)  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

Isn't it amazing how God reveals things to us? He started to make His point last night through an article I read on Foxnews.com and then finished it this morning in my quiet time while I read through the story of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego (Daniel 3).

His point?  

Stand firm in your faith and do not EVER compromise what you believe

Good point.

Last night, my husband and I were at the table eating our dinner and discussing the current circumstances with Syria. As we talked I went to the Fox News website for an update on the situation but before I got there I noticed another headline,

Christian bakery closes after LGBT threats, protests

Of course I had to click on the link. 

The article interested me because my small group has spend some time in recent weeks talking about Christians facing increased persecution here in the United States. In this article it appears that a family-owned bakery operated by a Christian couple with 5 children decided to close it's doors after threats from LGBT activists. The article said the bakery is currently under investigation for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple.  

According to the article, a Lesbian couple filed discrimination charges and then went to the media to "get the word" out. Since the business's refusal to bake the cake, the family has faced months of harassment from pro-gay marriage forces. The couple told the media they have nothing against homosexuals but because of their faith, they just couldn't take part in gay wedding events. 

Within days of the story being released to the media, the family received death threats - even the death of their children. The commissioner of Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries gave the following statement:

“Everybody is entitled to their own beliefs, but that doesn’t mean that folks have the right to discriminate,” he told the newspaper. “The goal is to rehabilitate. For those who do violate the law, we want them to learn from that experience and have a good, successful business in Oregon.”

I guess businesses in Oregon are being forced to follow the law..man-made law... and not God's law. As followers of Christ, we are suppose to live our lives according to the standard of God's word. 

As I read through Daniel chapter 3 this morning...  I saw similarities between these 2 stories.  Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego had a choice to make, they could bow down and worship the Babylonian king, or they could honor the commandment "Thou shall have NO OTHER gods before me." They chose to trust God and didn't compromise what they believed. 

In the same way, this Christian family held firm to their faith in God and their belief in God's word. This family remained faithful to God no matter what. 

When you take a stand for God, you will stand out. Rest assured, God will honor your faith. 

Are you prepared to stand with Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego and say "if He delivers me, or if He doesn't, I will serve God only."