Without warning, everything changed for Daniel, his cousins and friends. They were young; they had their whole future ahead of them and they often dreamed of occupying positions of influence and making a mark when their time came. This was a natural expectation for him and the other descendants of King Hezekiah. But without warning, everything changed and they went from being royalty in their homeland to being slaves in Babylon; all because of a wrong move King Hezekiah made years before.
Daniel could have spent his days in Babylon having pity parties, letting everyone know he used to be royalty, and finishing each session with a recap of how King Hezekiah brought this calamity upon them. Rather, he adhered to the values and principles for superior living that had been handed down their royal lineage for years – integrity, excellence, diligence, consistency, loyalty and devotion to his God.
Soon enough his good work began to speak and he gained promotions that took him from slavery to being a ruler in Babylon in successive administrations. He defied the restraints and the setbacks that were clearly the repercussions of his forefather’s actions and went ahead to live a victorious life.
So here’s the question for you. Do you ever think you’re disadvantaged because of certain circumstances beyond your control?
Consider applying the Daniel Strategy for victorious living. Build your list of values for victorious living and work with them. If you find this a little challenging, you could start with Daniel’s list and move on from there.
Picture credits: www.beacontn.org