ARE YOU AWARE OF HOW MUCH INFLUENCE YOU HAVE ON OTHERS?

SCRIPTURE:
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and 
he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 

Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 
but the official told Daniel, 
“I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why 
should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king 
would then have my head because of you.” 

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over 
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 
“Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to 
eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young 
men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what 
you see.” 

So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten 
days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men 
who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the 
wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
(Daniel 1:8-16)

MEDITATION:
Although our circles of influence vary in size, 
we all have the power to affect others—either for good or bad. 
Whether at home, in the church, or in the world, our lives are on display. 
Many times we aren’t even aware 
of who is impacted by our words, attitudes, and actions.

Daniel didn’t set out with the purpose of making an impression on others, 
but something about him affected everyone who came in contact with him
(from lowly servants to kings of empires). 
What made this young man stand out was his commitment to his convictions.
 
He believed in the absolute truth of the Scriptures. 
When he was taken to Babylon, he “made up his mind” not to defile himself 
with the king’s food, because he knew that eating meat offered to idols 
was forbidden by the Mosaic law.

Daniel’s convictions, not his environment, determined his behavior. 
Our world offers a multitude of ways to compromise on what we know is right, 
but if we’ll “make up our minds” ahead of time, 
we too, can stand firm in our obedience to God.

Although an unbelieving world may mock our values and lifestyle, their 
respect for us actually lessens when we waffle and give in to temptations. 
What’s worse, our witness for Christ is damaged 
when others see us compromising our faith.
When their expectations of us are dashed, 
they no longer perceive us as sincere Christians who live out our beliefs.

Conviction about God’s truth is like an anchor. 
When the winds of opinion blow and the waves of temptation pound us, 
we can know with certainty the right way to respond. 
We should not vacillate in our obedience to the Lord. 
Our unwavering stand for what’s right can have a powerful influence others.

ACTION:
Are you aware of how your words and actions can influence others?
What are you doing about it?
How are you influencing others – for good, or for bad?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit will help me to live within 
the boundaries of my convictions, regardless of the environment I am in. 
Strengthen my convictions so that I will not waver and will have a positive 
influence on those who observe me and my actions. Thank You for providing 
the Holy Spirit to comfort, guide, and encourage Your children. Thank You 
Jesus for the sacrifice You made on my behalf.”