God Gave Daniel Favor and Compassion
Daniel showed up, worked hard and enjoyed the game and God built his skill, favor and compassion in the eyes of the community, nation and culture around him.
God Gave Daniel Skill, Favor and Compassion
God is the One who gave Daniel skill, favor and compassion in the eyes of the chief and Nebuchadnezzar.
Skill, favor and compassion in the eyes of others…especially those far from God…are the intangibles. They are evident, but hard to put a finger on.
Daniel trusted God where God clearly spoke. And Daniel trusted God with what he couldn’t do.
Daniel showed up, worked hard and enjoyed the game.
Showed up = He was present with the people he was
Worked hard = He put in the work to learn their culture.
Enjoyed the Game = He enjoyed the grind of learning another culture very different than his. And he enjoyed being in the presence of God.
Nebuchadnezzar found Daniel and his 3 buddies to be 10x better than all the other youths in the program. Daniel didn’t try to be better. He didn’t demand to be better. He didn’t demand they all convert to his way and his God. Daniel trusted with what God said. And Daniel let God do only what he can do.
Control the controllables...
You can control how you show up, work hard and enjoy the game.
You cannot control what others do or believe or see you.
Demanding others be like you, believe like you, worship like you, vote like you, is to take control of what God wants to do with your life in the eyes of others.
God wants your trust in what he has said in how to interact with cultures which are far from him. This is what you can control. He gives you Life through his commands. He wants you to ask, barter and serve those around you to build influence so others can see the Life he gives.
The Church needs people who ask, barter and serve, not demand. To enjoy the long game so they can build influence by showing up in people’s lives. Who will work hard and depend on God for the skill, favor and compassion they need with the people they want to influence.
Take God’s Word Deeper…
Control what you can control by showing trust in God through showing up, working hard and enjoying the game. Let God be in control of what we cannot control: skill, favor and compassion in the eyes of others.
How have you tried to control what you cannot control?
How can you show up, work hard and enjoy the game to be able to trust God for what he has said for your life…and trust how he wants to work in the intangibles?
How has your church showed up, worked hard and enjoyed the game for the community, nation and cultures around you? How can you build on what you have already done?
Pray God will show you how to show up, work hard and enjoy the game so he can build skill, favor and compassion in the eyes of the community, nation and culture around you.