"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." (v. 8)
Even during difficult times and while being captive, Daniel did not forget his faith and did everything he could to prevent compromising it. This included showing respect to his officials, although they were his captors, and always attempting to abide by their given processes. He did not simply ignore the captors way to avoid compromising his faith. He followed his chain of commands, and requested a change.As Christians, we must do the same. In fact, Scripture teaches us to respect and obey our local authorities. Our fundamental beliefs should never be compromised. However, we should do everything possible to work within the system to avoid compromise whenever possible. By doing so, we would potentially earn the respect of the officials and possibly win their hearts as well.
You'll gain respect when people see
That you are faithful to God's Word;
There may be some who disagree,
But they will know you love the Lord.
- D. De Haan
If you're living for Christ you may lose some friends, but you won't lose their respect.
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