Leadership Insights From Daniel 3

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Daniel was incredible confident as a young leader. He wasn’t cocky, arrogant or masking some deep insecurities with an over-exaggerated “fake confidence.”

His confidence wasn’t in himself… it was in God.

Daniel knew he was loved very much by God. He knew he was called by God. He knew that the favor of God was on his life.

Daniel 9

21 As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came…

22 He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding.

23 The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.

Daniel 10

11 …(He) said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up…

12 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.

19 “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”

Leadership Insights:

As a leader, I must be confident… that God has called me, chosen me & loves me.

Leadership Insights From Daniel 2

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Daniel was a young leader serving in a foreign land. He trusted and obeyed God (this was not the status quo in Babylon).

Daniel was unwilling to do what everyone else was doing. He didn’t feel the need to feed on all the same things being offered to the other young people…

Daniel 1

5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

6 Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

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.

9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel,

10 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.”

11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,

12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.

13 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.”

14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.

16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.

19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.

20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

In Daniel’s case, he resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine (as a Jew, he followed strict dietary rules under the Old Testament law).

As a leadership principle, I believe we must make tough decisions about what we will and will not participate in.

Some things may be AVAILABLE for our enjoyment, but not everything is BENEFICIAL.

You say, “I am allowed to do anything” — but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything” — but not everything is beneficial. – 1 Corinthians 10:23

Daniel resolved… it was his decision. He had the courage to say “no thank-you.” He chose to do things a little differently… and because of it, he excelled.

LEADERSHIP THOUGHTS FROM DANIEL:

Leaders are willing to say “no thank you” to some things.

Leaders choose not to do what everyone else is doing.

Leaders make tough decisions from a place of conviction.

QUESTIONS:

Are there some things I have been saying “yes” to that I should be saying “no thank you” to?

What are some things “everyone else is doing” that would produce no benefit in my life as a leader?

What difficult decisions or resolutions do I need to make from a place of conviction?

Leadership Insights From Daniel

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I love the story of Daniel – a young man of faith who is given leadership opportunities in a foreign land. Daniel rises to the challenge, leads with excellence and is promoted. The other young leaders become jealous and start looking for some “dirt” on Daniel… they find nothing, and realize the only way to get Daniel is to go after his faith.

Daniel 6
1 Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province.
2 The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests.
3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.
4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.
5 So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”

Leadership insights from Daniel –

He was a capable leader and had great ability.

He was without fault – there was nothing to condemn or criticize.

He was faithful – always responsible & completely trustworthy.

The only grounds for accusation was in connection with the rules of his religion.

All of the church leadership scandals that I know of have nothing to do with faith or the “rules of our religion.” Rather, they are about things that even the world considers bad (stealing money, taking someone else’s wife, lying, etc.).

God’s church deserves quality leaders… leaders like Daniel – leaders who are capable and have great ability, leaders who are without fault, leaders who cannot be condemned or criticized, leaders who are faithful, leaders who are responsible, and leaders who are completely trustworthy.

Let’s be leaders like Daniel!