SOMEONE OBSERVED,
ONLY MEDIOCRE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS AT THEIR BEST.
THE FINE LINE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE IS REALLY QUITE BROAD AND
WELL DEFINED. IT IS NOT COINCIDENTAL THAT SOME PEOPLE EXCEL AT WHAT THEY DO WHILE OTHERS BARELY GET BY. THERE ARE REASONS WHY WE ACHIEVE AND THERE ARE REASONS WHY WE FAIL. DANIEL BROKE THE MOLD OF MEDIOCRE LIVING. HE EXCELLED IN A SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE MAJORITY OF HIS COUNTRYMEN WERE CONTENT WITH THE STATUS QUO. WHEN EXAMINING DANIEL'S LIFE, YOU'LL QUICKLY DISCOVER THAT HIS FAME DID NOT HAPPEN BY CHANCE. INSTEAD, YOU'LL FIND THAT HIS RISE TO POWER CAN BE TRACED TO THREE IMPORTANT DECISIONS.
FIRST, DANIEL CHOSE CHARACTER OVER COMFORT. IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, DANIEL DEVELOPED A REPUTATION. HE WAS KNOWN TO BE HONORABLE AND ETHICAL
HIS CLOSET WAS CLEAN ... THERE WERE NO SKELETONS WAITING TO HAUNT HIM. EVEN DANIEL'S ENEMIES FOUND HIM TRUSTWORTHY. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME WHEN IT IS EXTREMELY EASY TO COMPROMISE OUR INTEGRITY. SO WHAT IF I TAKE SOME SUPPLIES HOME FROM THE FACTORY OR HAVE SOMEONE ELSE PUNCH MY TIME CARD? WHO IS GOING TO SAY ANYTHING IF YOU STRETCH THE TRUTH OR SNEAK AN ANSWER ON AN EXAM OR CHEAT ON YOUR INCOME TAX
A LETTER WAS SENT TO THE IRS. IT STATED: "DEAR SIRS, LAST YEAR WHEN I FILED MY INCOME TAX RETURN, I DELIBERATELY MISREPRESENTED MY INCOME. NOW I CANNOT SLEEP. ENCLOSED IS A CHECK FOR $150 FOR TAXES. IF I STILL CAN'T SLEEP, I WILL GLADLY SEND YOU THE REST."
IT IS EASY TO COMPROMISE OUR VIRTUE ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR HAS BECOME THE ACCEPTED NORM. BUT SUCH COMPROMISE WILL COST YOU THE JOY OF UNHINDERED FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD. IN YOUR LIFE, STRIVE FOR ETHICAL AND MORAL PURITY ... LIKE DANIEL, BE WILLING TO BE DIFFERENT. THE APOSTLE PETER DECLARED:
. . . MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ADD TO YOUR FAITH GOODNESS; AND TO
GOODNESS, KNOWLEDGE; AND TO KNOWLEDGE, SELF-CONTROL; AND TO
SELF-CONTROL, PERSEVERANCE; AND TO PERSEVERANCE, GODLINESS; AND TO
GODLINESS, BROTHERLY KINDNESS; AND TO BROTHERLY KINDNESS, LOVE. FOR
IF YOU POSSESS THESE QUALITIES IN INCREASING MEASURE, THEY WILL KEEP
YOU FROM BEING INEFFECTIVE AND UNPRODUCTIVE IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. BUT IF ANYONE DOES NOT HAVE THEM, HE IS
NEARSIGHTED AND BLIND, AND HAS FORGOTTEN THAT HE HAS BEEN CLEANSED
FROM HIS PAST SINS. -2PE 1:5-9
AT TIMES, THE MODERN CHURCH MORE OFTEN COMPLIMENTS RATHER THAN CONTRASTS THE BEHAVIOR OF THE WORLD. UNLIKE MANY OF HIS CONTEMPORARIES, DANIEL CHOSE CHARACTER OVER COMFORT. HE HAD THE COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT.
SECONDLY, DANIEL EXCELLED BECAUSE HE CHOSE DISCIPLINE OVER DISORDER. AMONG OTHER THINGS, DANIEL HAD A DISCIPLINED PRAYER LIFE. IN V.10 WE READ:
THREE TIMES A DAY HE GOT DOWN ON HIS KNEES AND PRAYED, GIVING THANKS TO HIS GOD.
THE REASON WHY SOME PEOPLE SUCCEED WHILE OTHERS FAIL HAS LITTLE TO DO
WITH ABILITIES. MOST OF OUR FAILURES CAN BE TRACED TO AN ABSENCE OF DISCIPLINE. I DON'T BELIEVE THE CHICAGO BULLS WOULD HAVE WON THE NBA TITLE IF THE INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS WERE NOT DISCIPLINED IN THEIR PRACTICE SESSIONS. IT TAKES DISCIPLINE IN ORDER TO EXCEL. YOU CAN'T SOW WILD OATS AND THEN PRAY FOR A CROP FAILURE.
HERE ARE SOME AREAS WHERE MOST OF US NEED GREATER DISCIPLINE. FIRST, WE NEED TO CONTROL OUR TONGUE. MORE PEOPLE ARE RUN DOWN BY GOSSIP THAN AUTOMOBILES. ALTHOUGH MANY WOULD CONSIDER GOSSIP A LESSER SIN THAN MURDER, GOSSIP CAN KILL FRIENDSHIPS, DISRUPT A FAMILY, DIVIDE A CHURCH, ASSASSINATE A PERSON'S CHARACTER. SOMEONE ONCE SAID:
GREAT MINDS DISCUSS IDEAS, AVERAGE MINDS DISCUSS EVENTS, SMALL MINDS
DISCUSS PEOPLE.
WE MUST ALL LEARN TO DISCIPLINE OUR TONGUE.
SECOND, WE NEED MORE DISCIPLINE IN OUR DEVOTIONAL LIFE. I WONDER, DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF PRAYER IN OUR SCHOOL WHEN THERE IS AN ABSENCE OF PRAYER IN OUR HOME? SHOULD WE DEFEND THE BIBLE IN PUBLIC YET DENY IT IN THE PRIVACY OF OUR OWN LIVES? DO WE HAVE A RIGHT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE MORAL DECAY OF AMERICA IF WE FAIL TO PRAY FOR OUR NATION? THREE TIMES EVERY DAY DANIEL GOT DOWN ON HIS KNEES AND INTERCEDE BEFORE GOD.
THIRD, WE NEED A MORE DISCIPLINED CHURCH LIFE. IN OVER TWENTY FIVE YEARS OF SERVING THE LORD, I HAVE LEARNED HOW IMPORTANT THE CHURCH IS TO MY SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND STABILITY. IN FACT, I HAVE LEARNED THAT I NEED THE CHURCH FAR MORE THAN THE CHURCH NEEDS ME. I NEED TO BE IN AN ATMOSPHERE WHERE MY PERCEPTIONS OF LIFE CAN BE CHALLENGED. I NEED TO BE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT OFFERS ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND UTILIZE MY SPIRITUAL GIFTS. I NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN A CHURCH WHERE I AM HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR MY ACTIONS ... A PLACE WHERE I CAN RECEIVE GODLY WISDOM. I ALSO NEED TO BE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH PEOPLE WHO HOLD TO THE SAME VALUES THAT I EMBRACE. I NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN A CHURCH WHERE I CAN BE ENCOURAGED WHEN I FEEL LIKE GIVING UP ... A PLACE WHERE OTHERS WILL PRAY FOR ME WHEN I'M TOO DISCOURAGED TO PRAY FOR MYSELF. NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMIND ME ABOUT THE IMPERFECTIONS THAT EXIST IN THE CHURCH. BUT ALL THE CRITICISM WILL NEVER UNDO THE POSITIVE ROLE THE LOCAL CHURCH PLAYS !
IN BUILDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD. WORK ON DEVELOPING A DISCIPLINED PATTERN OF CHURCH ATTENDANCE. DANIEL EXCELLED BECAUSE HE CHOSE DISCIPLINE OVER DISORDER
FINALLY, DANIEL EXCELLED BECAUSE HE CHOSE LOVE OVER LIFE. A NEW LAW HAD BEEN ISSUED. NO ONE WAS PERMITTED TO PRAY FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS AND ANYONE CAUGHT DOING SO WOULD BE FED TO THE LIONS. THIS LAW WAS REALLY NOTHING MORE THAN A SMOKE SCREEN SOME PEOPLE WERE USING TO GET DANIEL INTO TROUBLE BECAUSE THEY KNEW DANIEL WOULD NEVER STOP PRAYING. WELL, IT WASN'T VERY LONG BEFORE DANIEL HEARD ABOUT THE NEW LAW. VERSE 10 STATES:
… WHEN DANIEL LEARNED THAT THE DECREE HAD BEEN PUBLISHED, HE
WENT HOME TO HIS UPSTAIRS ROOM WHERE THE WINDOWS OPENED TOWARD
JERUSALEM. THREE TIMES A DAY HE GOT DOWN ON HIS KNEES AND PRAYED,
GIVING THANKS TO HIS GOD, JUST AS HE HAD DONE BEFORE. -DAN 6:10
I'M CONVINCED THAT DANIEL WASN'T REALLY INTERESTED IN BECOMING SUNDAY'S BRUNCH FOR THE LION'S CLUB. BUT WHEN FACED WITH A DECISION, HE CHOSE LOVE OVER LIFE. DANIEL'S FIRST ALLEGIANCE WAS TO GOD. IS YOUR LOVE FOR CHRIST MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR AMBITIONS? IS GOD MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN THE ACCEPTANCE OF YOUR PEERS? IS CHRIST MORE WORTHY THAN THE PURSUIT OF POWER OR POSSESSIONS? THERE IS AN OLD CHORUS WHICH SAYS:
LORD, YOU ARE MORE PRECIOUS THAN SILVER.
LORD, YOU ARE MORE COSTLY THAN GOLD.
LORD, YOU ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN DIAMONDS.
NOTHING I DESIRE COMPARES WITH YOU.
IS THAT YOUR TESTIMONY THIS MORNING? WHEN FACED WITH AN OPTION, DANIEL CHOSE LOVE OVER LIFE. WHAT IS IT COSTING YOU TO BE A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST? ARE WE GUILTY OF MAKING CHRISTIANITY A RELIGION OF CONVENIENCE?
HAVE WE REPLACED SELF-DENIAL WITH SELF-SERVICE? DANIEL WAS DETERMINED TO SERVE GOD REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES.
I LOVE VERSE 23:
THE KING WAS OVERJOYED AND GAVE ORDERS TO LIFT DANIEL OUT OF THE
DEN. AND WHEN DANIEL WAS LIFTED FROM THE DEN, NO WOUND WAS FOUND ON
HIM, BECAUSE HE HAD TRUSTED IN HIS GOD. -DAN 6:23
WE ARE NOT ALWAYS ISOLATED FROM PAINFUL EXPERIENCES. THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN YOU AND I WILL NOT ESCAPE THE TRIBULATIONS OF LIFE. BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO TRUST IN THE LORD, HE WILL BRING US THROUGH THESE EXPERIENCES UNHARMED
I LIKE THE WAY DAVID SAID IT:
YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE; YOU WILL PROTECT ME FROM TROUBLE AND SURROUND ME WITH SONGS OF DELIVERANCE. -PSALM 32:7
HOW CAN WE BREAK THE MOLD OF MEDIOCRE LIVING? THE SAME WAY DANIEL BROKE THE MOLD:
· CHOOSE CHARACTER OVER COMFORT
· CHOOSE DISCIPLINE OVER DISORDER
· CHOOSE LOVE OVER LIFE
