“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank:” (Dan. 1:8)
If you live for God, it won’t be long before you will have to take a stand. At some point, you will have to make a choice whether you will go along with the world, or stand up for Christ. The key to taking a stand is having a conviction. Having a conviction means to be so thoroughly convinced something is true that you are willing to take a stand for it regardless of the consequences. Notice some things about Daniel’s conviction that gave him the courage to stand against the king.
FIRST—The SOURCE of His Conviction.
Daniel’s convictions came from the Word of God. The reason he refused to eat the king’s meat and drink the king’s wine was because it would have caused him to violate the Old Testament dietary laws. His love for God’s Word gave him the conviction he needed to take a stand when necessary. While growing up, you may take on your mom and dad’s convictions. But at some point, you must develop convictions of your own. And the best place to get them is from God’s Word.
SECOND—The SPIRIT of His Conviction.
The last part of the verse says that Daniel “requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” He didn’t blow up with a sanctimonious, super-spiritual attitude. He simply “requested” to “not defile himself.” Sometimes our attitude can be the very thing that helps or hurts our stand for Christ. Make sure that if you are persecuted by the world that it is for your position and not your disposition!
THIRD—The SIGNIFICANCE of His Conviction.
God blessed the stand Daniel took. (v.15) “And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.” Because Daniel took a stand for God, God took a stand for Daniel and everyone saw the results! People may make fun of you, at first, for taking a stand. But, in the end, they will respect your stand when they see how God has blessed you.
Do you have any convictions you have gotten from the Bible? Do you have any convictions about what you WILL or WILL NOT do as a child of God? A true conviction many mean losing a friend, or losing a job for your stand. A true conviction is being able to say, “Though none go with me, still I will follow.”
Daniel had some convictions he had maintained throughout his life. He had some non-negotiables. Ask the Lord, today, to help you develop some convictions in your life, and then give you the courage to take a stand.