Episode Details

I want to focus on three key pressure points Daniel faced—and three of his friends did as well—as they were suddenly placed in a culture totally foreign to their faith in the God of Israel, the true God.  

Pressure Point #1: A Change of Names and Diet 

In Daniel one, we read how he and other Israelites, the brightest and the best, were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar and brought to Babylon. They were assigned new Babylonian names. Daniel became Belteshazzar. And they were instructed to eat the royal diet, which was contrary to the dietary laws God had given the Israelites.  

Nebuchadnezzar’s plan was to transform these bright men into pagans, remove their Jewish identity, and get them to conform to the culture they were in. They would be more useful to him that way, he thought; they would do their best work and be more loyal to him if they abandoned their heritage and their faith. 

Could a name change achieve that purpose? No, the only way Daniel and his companions would ever forsake their heritage, identity, and faith in the true God, would be a complete change of heart and mind. And a name doesn’t affect the heart. 

How did Daniel respond to this name change? We see no indication he objected in any way. This is where the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is true. “Call me what you like,” is Daniel’s and his three friends’ responses, because it wouldn’t change who they were. 

But how does Daniel respond to the dietary change? This does affect him, because he does not intend to abandon the dietary laws of his faith. For this he is willing to take a stand. 

What do I take from this?  

Pick your fights. There are some things worth standing up for and resisting, and some are not. Many times, we bring pressure and stress into our lives by allowing ourselves to be overly concerned about things which have no lasting value and make no real difference.  

We must learn to distinguish between issues of integrity and issues of priority. For example, suppose you’re facing an assignment which seems ludicrous to you, a waste of time and resources, an exercise in futility. You must pick your fight. You may determine the damage and wastefulness of the assignment is of such magnitude you must confront it. Or you may realize it’s not worth the fight—it’s too small. This is not an issue of integrity but one of priority. 

On the other hand, if an assignment involves a lowering of your own personal standards of integrity, an abuse of company policy, or unfair service to a customer, now you are facing an issue of integrity. This is a fight worth taking on. How you approach it is another issue. But to stay true to biblical principles, fight you must. 

Picking your fight doesn’t mean you come on in a combative way. Proverbs 16:21 says: The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction. Pleasant words usually get you a lot further than words of confrontation or judgment.  

How many times have you se