Making up your mind not to violate your conscience

Daniel 1:8-9 (NASB)

But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.  Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials. 

What captures my eye, my thoughts and my heart is the simple statement, “Daniel made up his mind…..”.  Other translations use the verbs “resolved” (NIV, ESV), “determined” (NLT, Message, Amplified), “purposed in his heart” (KJV), but I like the NASB translation the best.  He made up his mind not to violate his conscience, not to do what he thought was wrong for him, not to sin.  This reminds me of James 4:17 where the Bible says, “……to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  James is speaking of a particular sin of omission while Daniel is dealing with a sin of commission, but the principle is the same.  

Have you ever taken a spiritual stand like this?  While Daniel’s conviction was outwardly a physical one—not to eat certain foods or drink wine—it was based on an inward spiritual commitment Daniel apparently made to the Lord.  Daniel knew that the king’s choice food and wine were unhealthy.  Actually, he knew that the Babylonians were interested in changing the habits and loyalties of the Hebrew youth, basically wanting to brainwash them into the new lifestyles of their captors.  Daniel was refusing to be brainwashed.  You learn that Daniel and his friends who ate only vegetables and drank only water for ten days had better appearance (and, in fact were fatter—read v 15) than the other youth who had been eating the king’s choice food.  However, the learning point from this story is not who looked better because of a particular diet, but that Daniel stood firm in his conviction, in what he had made up his mind to do and not to do, and the Lord rewarded him with favor and compassion from the commander of the officials (1:9) and knowledge, intelligence and wisdom from the Lord (1:17, 20).  

Have you ever made up your mind that you are not going to do something that violates your conscience and stick to that conviction?  There are many instances in your life where you must decide whether to follow the Lord’s will and ways or follow your own.  Where you are today is a result of some of these choices you have made in the past.  Choices made to follow the Lord have resulted in what is good about your life.  Choices made to follow you own way likely have resulted in what is bad or what regrets you have about your life.

What are things or areas of your life where you are not going to make any compromises?  What are you going to be bold about regardless of what others around you might think or say?  Simple decisions to follow God’s truth are examples of making up your mind to follow your convictions.  And when you do follow your convictions, you will find that God will protect you and give you what He did for and gave to Daniel.