“There are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men have ignored you, the king; they do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:12
I hope this isn’t going to insult you, but political conventions seem like such a waste of time to me. Spending millions of dollars on my own birthday party would be horrendous, but it would look like a sound investment compared to these four-day, party-line bashes.
It must have been a slow evening at our house because I was watching the proceedings at the 1992 Republican Convention in Houston. The lineup for the nomination for president included a man who had gone public with his personal faith in Christ. Several political commentators had been invited into one of the network broadcast booths high above the convention floor and were asked to give the listening audience a taste of their brilliance on the subject of religion. Their insight was remarkably sobering.
“All of these candidates are religious men,” one man observed. “But this candidate has, in my opinion, gone too far. He has allowed his faith to get in the way of what he says and what he thinks.” The others in the booth chuckled. Imagine anything so outrageous as a man being affected by what he believes.
The story of the three Jewish men’s singular obedience to their heavenly Father is remarkable. The Babylonians had a one-size-fits-all god—a huge, gold-plated idol! And they expected everyone, even the Judahites whom they had captured, to bow down. Unfortunately, King Nebuchadnezzar and his associates misjudged the commitment of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who didn’t bend their knees to this carved pile of precious metal.
Exactly like the presidential candidate letting his religion “get in the way,” these men made the tactical “error” of standing up to the incredible pressure of the godless culture that surrounded them. So they were sentenced to die.
“Forgettable” is probably not your goal in life. “Here lies a man who made no waves” would be a shameful thing to have chiseled on your tombstone. But standing up for what you believe is tough. If you choose to go this route, there will be those who question the prudence of your allowing your “religion” to affect the way you live your life. The pressure to acquiesce might be hard to resist.
You probably remember the end of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. After their shocking and insubordinate disobedience, the furious Babylonian king tossed them into a blazing furnace. But God provided an angel to join these men in the midst of the fire, and their lives were spared. This is a remarkable, true story.
Do you want to make a name for yourself? Then dare to stand for what you believe. Don’t be afraid to let God’s love and grace affect your thinking, your lifestyle, and your decisions. Sure, it might get a little hot in there. But God has plenty of angels to dispatch. He even has a few who are particularly skilled at protecting obedient men from the flames.