Made of Mettle: Living Courageously in Turbulent TimesSample

Courage to be CONSISTENT WITH STANDARDS

Courageous living is not a part time assignment. Every day and every moment we have to live with a mindset of courage and not fear. As turbulence surrounds us we need to make a conscious and intentional effort to not be overcome with fear. We may feel afraid but we do not need to live with it.

When Daniel was brought to Babylon as a captive we see him showing grit and not timidity. With every new emperor came new rules and new challenges and every time Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah exhibited courage. Situations could not change their convictions, challenges did not stop them from making a stand, distractions could not hinder them from focusing on what matters, corruption could not block them from being an example and they were willing to pay the price for choosing to live this way. Courageous living is a continuous and ongoing pattern of living.

When we read chapter 6 we find Daniel in another predicament. Even in this situation he shows us courage. His life exhibits consistency with the standards that guide him. Following these standards were not occasional or situational. He was consistent with his high standards. No amount of pressure, threat or dangers could make him budge from his standards. Each of the lessons we have learnt from his life are inter-connected. We cannot separate them from one another. All of them are equally vital in living a courageous life in turbulent times.

Daniel’s consistent lifestyle demands from us a question: how was he able to show such courage and grit in the face of difficulties? One character trait about Daniel that can help us answer this question is that he never made excuses. Excuses hinder us from living courageously. We can always find excuses that justify our fear. The problem could be too big, the situation can be too volatile, or I can be ill-equipped. There is no end to excuses and these excuses obstruct us from thriving in difficult situations.

Daniel never used his situation as an excuse. Being a captive in a pagan land was not the life he had dreamed of. But when he was taken to Babylon he did not use this as an excuse to live in fear. When his friends and he were faced with the atrocities of the emperor, they did not make excuses but lived with courage. Often times we blame our situations for our lack of courage and Daniel teaches us not to use our situations as an excuse to live in fear.

When we read chapter 6, we see that the administrators and the satraps devised a scheme to find faults with Daniel. Even after knowing that these officials were against him, Daniel did not use their hatred as an excuse to hide in fear. Instead, he continued living a life of courage. When our colleagues and our associates turn against us, we fail to be consistent with our standards. We fear that holding on to our convictions may aggravate the situation and we choose to compromise. None of these were used as an excuse by Daniel.

Daniel was willing to pay the price for his convictions. When he finally came out alive from the lion’s den, the Bible highlights the source of Daniel courage i.e. “…he had trusted in his God” (Daniel 6:23). King Darius even acknowledged the power and sovereignty of Daniel’s God.

Even in the midst of the most turbulent times Daniel’s trust in God became the source of his courage. He teaches us that when we have the courage to be consistent with standards then it is possible to thrive even if we are surrounded by turbulent waters.