Without Compromise, pt. 1: The Most Important Thing

When I started a personal Bible study on the book of Ezra several years ago, I wasn’t expecting that I would turn my own study notes into a book about leadership, but that’s what happened (Leadership Ezra, available on Amazon).  When that was done, I started a study of Daniel and never made it past the first chapter before organizing my personal notes into a series of valuable lessons to share with students.  As time has gone on, God seems to be prompting me to do more with it, so I have begun the process of turning my notes into short articles that will then become the basis for chapters in a book (current working title: “Without Compromise: Leading with integrity in the face of pressure”).  

The story’s underlying basis is this:  In the time and world of Daniel, Israel and the capital city of Jerusalem were invaded and captured.  In that process, the most gifted and talented young men were given a “scholarship” [albeit against their will] to attend the most elite private school in the known world, one designed to prepare leaders & experts (Daniel 1:3).  Upon graduation, Daniel and his friends were at the top of the class and were hired into executive leadership positions right out of school (Daniel 1:17-20).  But here’s an incredibly significant observation: In between . . . they refused to compromise their faith, values, and integrity.  

How did they do it? 

The answers are revealed in the first chapter of the book, but the first (and most important) is reflected in what can be inferred from verse 8, which says, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” You see, in this newly placed environment, Daniel (and his three friends) were given the best food on the menu.  It was not for the purpose of ‘seducing” them to the side of evil, or for perverting who they were.  However, they knew what they believed (based on Jewish Law and the Scriptures), so they knew that eating that food wouldn’t be consistent with what they believed.  But they also knew they were far away from home under a lot of pressure. So, Daniel had to make a decision based on his personal worldview and principles, and his resulting response was to stand firm.

His response in verse 8 reveals three things:

1. He knew what he believed.  He had a standard of morality, a set of values that was the basis of his belief, and he owned that standard as his own. 
2. He knew why it mattered.  Therefore, he had turned that set of values into guiding principles reflected with integrity in his character and identity.
3. He knew how he should respond. His standard of morality was translated into his decisions and his actions.

The takeaway for us is this:  It begins with your worldview, your core beliefs.  That’s your foundation.  Then, your beliefs are translated into principles, the guidelines you establish for yourself that show what matters to you.  That’s your framework.  Finally, your principles dictate the decisions you make and the actions you take (That’s your finish).  Ultimately, what you believe and how you behave are tied to each other.   Therefore, you need to know what you believe and why it matters so that it forms the framework of how you will live; just as importantly, your actions and decisions must match your beliefs. When you have done that, you are prepared to face any pressures to conform . . . without compromise.