eKidz Devotional: All About CharacterSample

Sometimes, it can be so tempting to do the wrong thing—even when you know in your heart that it’s a bad idea. It could be because everyone else around you is doing the wrong thing, so it feels like no one would notice or care if you joined in. Or maybe it seems like it would be okay to do the wrong thing because no one will see it or know about it. 

In today’s Bible story, Daniel faced a tough situation where it would have been much easier to do the wrong thing. There was this group of men who didn’t like Daniel and wanted to get him in trouble. They knew Daniel would only pray to God, so they convinced the king to create a law that outlawed praying to anyone but the king for 30 days. The punishment for breaking this law was to be thrown into a den of hungry lions. Once the king signed the law, the men sat back and watched to see if Daniel would break it.

Daniel could have prayed to the king in public and then prayed to God secretly, or he could have just decided not to pray at all for 30 days. But Daniel knew what was right, and he chose to pray to God anyway. He didn’t even try to hide it—he prayed right in front of an open window! When Daniel was caught and thrown into the lions’ den, God rewarded him for his faithfulness by protecting him from the lions. Daniel’s choice showed integrity because he showed godly character no matter what other people might think or do.

Dex and River face a problem similar to Daniel’s in the second episode of “The Last Portal?” Check out this clip to hear about the tough decision they had to make:

It would have been easy for Dex and River to make the decision that was safer and simpler even though they knew it would be wrong. But their decision to help protect the Smalligans from the beast even though it slowed down their mission showed great integrity. They were true to their godly character and values no matter what was going on around them.

Ask yourself: What’s one way you’ve seen someone show integrity? When are some times or where are some places where it’s hard to have integrity?

Challenge yourself: Do the right thing—even if no one is looking. If your mom leaves a stack of cookies out on the counter, don’t sneak one while hoping she doesn’t notice. If you see your neighbor drop money on the ground while they unload their groceries, pick it up and return it to them instead of keeping it for yourself. There are so many ways to show integrity, so be on the lookout for ways to do the right thing this week.

Pray: God, thank You for being with me when I face tough choices. Help me always show godly character by making decisions that show integrity. I want to make choices that honor You. In Jesus’ name, amen.