Be an influence for the saints.
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We must live according to the practical principles that God's word establishes.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 Then the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and put the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king spoke to Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, to bring from the children of Israel, from the royal line of princes, 4 young men without blemish, well-liked, skilful in all wisdom, clever in knowledge and understanding, and fit to serve in the king's palace; and to teach them the learning and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king appointed them a daily portion of the king's food and wine, and he brought them up three years, so that at the end of the year they might appear before the king. 6 Now these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all of the sons of Judah. 7 The chief of the eunuchs gave these names: he named Daniel Belteshazzar; Hananiah Shadrach; Mishael Meshach; and Azariah Abednego. 8 Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's food or with the wine he drank. So he asked the chief of the eunuchs not to make him defile himself. 9 God gave Daniel a favorable opinion and favor with the chief of the eunuchs. 10 The chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who appointed your food and your drink. 11 Then Daniel said to Melzar, who was appointed by the chief of the eunuchs over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days by giving us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Compare our faces with the faces of the boys who eat the king's food, and do to your servants as you see fit." 14 So he agreed with them and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days their faces appeared better and fatter than the faces of the other boys who ate the king's food. 16 So Melzar took their food and wine and gave them vegetables. 17 And God gave these four lads knowledge and understanding in all learning and science; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 And when the days were past, at which the king had said to bring them, the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king talked with them, and there were none among them like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they stood before the king. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted with them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.
Daniel 1.
If we think about the corporate or commercial world, companies invest millions and millions of dollars to exert some kind of influence on people. We as children of God must understand that we are in a much more important entity than a company and our job is to captivate and capture the lives of people to bring them to Christ. While we want to impact in a positive way, we need to have coherence between what we do and say and this exercises conviction in those who see us and follow us, coherence with respect to what God dictates to us in his word and we must have the word of God as faithful and true, experiencing it daily.
We can see this chapter of Daniel's life, we see that his friends refused to participate in the king's food and drink and this is simply because the word told them that they should not get involved with food and drink that had been offered to idols. I know that it will be something very common at the time.
15 Therefore, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of that land; for they will commit fornication after their gods, and they will offer sacrifices to their gods, and they will invite you, and you will eat of their sacrifices;
Exodus 34:15