It takes courage to live with conviction, to guide your life to a higher standard. Daniel was such a man. He wasn’t going to lower his expectations of himself to please other people. We need to live with the same conviction. Choose today to set a high standard for yourself.
Daniel 1:8
“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.”
Take a Stand
When Daniel and his boys Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were being trained to serve the king, they were given food that was sacrificed to other gods. This was strictly forbidden for Jews, and Daniel took a stand. He didn’t protest but asked his supervisor if he could have just vegetables and water. After ten days they looked better than the rest of the trainees. To live with conviction means that we will have to take a stand.
Live Above Reproach
To Live with conviction, we must be above reproach. That means no one can lodge a complaint against you that will stick. Daniel chose to live that way even though no one would’ve noticed. He lived with conviction and denied himself the pleasures of this earth to remain pure before God. It is so easy to defile ourselves (do the wrong thing) when no one is looking. We need to live with convictions that are based on the Word of God not on what will impress other people. Don’t let the opinions of others circumvent your convictions. Stand by them and let God prove them true.