What to expect
Read Time: 6 mins
“Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 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. 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.”
Daniel 6:1-4 NLT
I want to remind you of the truth that God is calling you to success. Schools used to recite the familiar quote, “Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God's ideals for His children.” I want you to really consider that. God really does want to use you as a billboard to show the world who He is. God wants you to be the head and not the tail. God wants you to be a lender and not a borrower. God wants you to be above and not beneath. You're called to integrity and intellect. It is not a conflict of interest to be both spiritual and successful. It is actually our calling as Christians. God calls us to study to show ourselves approved. God calls us to develop the gifts He has given and multiply our skills. We are told that we should do our best at whatever our hand finds to do. We are commanded to let our light shine so that all men will see our good works glorify our father in heaven. You have a command and calling to seek growth and better. And you are given the courage and ability to fight through the fear and opposition that may try to inhibit you from growth. Because God is with us, we can’t help but bear fruit. Because of our connection with a great God, great fruit will be a result. Our integrity, character, trustworthiness and faithfulness will result in a difference in how we relate to the world around us.
The Bible describes many people like they’re trying to hype themselves up in a Tinder profile. It says that Joseph was not only very handsome and well built but that he was given much responsibility and success in not just some things but everything he did, because the Lord was with him. David is described in a similar manner. Saul was looking for a skilled musician and his advisors describe this kid from the fields of Bethlehem as a brave man and warrior who speaks well and is fine looking. It is also said that David succeeded in everything he did because the Lord was with him. The idea that a call to Christianity is a call of mediocrity couldn’t be further from the truth. Whatever God calls you to will lead to success. Not only does committing your life and plans to the Lord guarantee success, judging by these stories it's ok to look good while doing it. The Bible uses many words to describe you and none of them are “ordinary”. You are called to be exceptional. You're called to be phenomenal. You're called to be different. You are called to be extraordinary. God wants to do amazing things through you. He wants you to submit your plans and life to Him so He can make them successful. He can use you to change the trajectory of your family. He can use you to break generational curses and cycles. He can use you to be the catalyst for changed lives and situations. He can bring peace, joy and new perspectives from you that are transformational. God Is calling you to something bigger and better than you can even put into words. As you submit to God, He will have the room to shine through you in extraordinary ways. This is a given of Christianity. New life and greater opportunity is always birthed when Jesus comes into the room.
Daniel was like you. Because the Lord was with him, Daniel was called to a special life. God gave him unique gifts and positioning for the purpose of showcasing His glory just like He did with you. The Bible says that God gave Daniel an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. Not only that, God gave Daniel a supernatural ability to interpret the meanings of dreams and visions. Daniel was special. Daniel was different. Like David, Joseph and many others, Daniel was uniquely gifted and designed for greatness because God was with him. Daniel was selected for royal training because he was a strong, healthy and good looking young man. The Bible says he was well versed in every branch of learning, gifted with knowledge and good judgment and well suited to serve in the royal palace. I think it's almost comical how human and imperfect these people were, yet in their imperfection God steps in and makes them look almost perfect on paper. Like these guys are literally the smartest for miles. They’re respected government officials and everyone who describes them can't help but talk about how fine they are. I believe this calling to be set apart and special is something we are all called to. But there’s a backside to this blessing.
With every upgrade there is opposition. With every new platform there are new pressures. And with success come haters. Daniel has put in the work. Daniel is deserving and capable. God has prepared and promoted Daniel into new platforms. And the king is positioning Daniel to be over the entire kingdom. This isn't a fluke or a bad choice. Daniel is the right guy for the job. He has put in the work and man hours. The Bible goes on to say he proved himself to be more capable than everyone else in leadership. But as a result of his success, his haters started to mobilize. I want you to know that this should be expected by you too. You shouldn’t just expect success because of God, you should expect opposition as a result of that success. Jesus Himself said that if the world hated Him, you should expect it to hate you too. You are in the world but not of it. You're built different. And if Jesus received opposition because of His calling, how much more will you? You are called to go against the current and thrive in ways that don’t make sense. And others will hate you because of it for a myriad of reasons on their part.
There are a few things we can expect. We should expect success as followers of Christ. And we should expect opposition and persecution as followers of Christ. But we also can take hope in the expectation that weapons will form but won't prosper. Paul in 2 Corinthians says that we are pressed on every side by troubles but not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair. We are hunted down but never abandoned by our God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering we are actually sharing in the same thing Jesus experienced on earth so that the life of Jesus may be seen through us. Don’t be afraid to shine because you know opposition is coming. Jesus wasn't. You are commanded to let your light shine. God will take care of the rest. We can take hope in our expectation that everything the enemy meant for evil will be turned around, reused and recycled for our good. And we can take hope in the expectation that soon and very soon we are going to see our King. Paul has the nerve to say “for I reckon that the present trials are nothing compared to the glory we will experience in heaven.” Not only do we have success in Jesus, not only do we have safety from the storms and hatred. We can rest assured that everything we go through now is worth it.
I want y'all to get this. The life of Jesus will be mirrored in His followers. You will make an impact because God is working through you. But the devil and his beneficiaries will come against you as you advance the kingdom and tear down their’s. Defense comes to the person who is scoring the most. But you can have peace knowing that no weapon they form will prosper. Lions couldn’t stop Daniel. False accusations and betrayal couldn't stop Joseph. Assasination attempts and corrupt governments couldn’t stop David. And death couldn’t stop Jesus.
The people hated Daniel because he had something they didn't. They hated him because he was young, black, fly and successful (well I may have made up one of those but you get my point). Your success may make people insecure. Your calling may disturb the comfortable. They fought Daniel and they will fight you. Your story will be similar but you can keep letting your light shine. Keep being bold about the author and finisher of your faith. People may spend their entire lives trying to trip you up. But even lions won't prosper. Stay true to your God. Stay true to your calling. The weapons won't work. You will prosper. Pastor Hezekiah Walker says it something like this, “They whispered and conspired. They told their lies but God favors me. My character, my integrity, and my faith in God will not fall, bend, or compromise because God favors me.”
So I want to speak life and prosperity. I want to speak emotional, mental, physical, spiritual and relational health and success in spite of what the statistics say about you, because God favors you. He already has won for you. People may fail. Things may disappoint. Obstacles may be discouraging. But God favors you. Stay focused on the sustainer. Always be faithful. Always be responsible. Always be completely trustworthy. You're called to a life of integrity and difference because Jesus is working in and through you. Stay locked in with Jesus. He is the progenitor of your faith. He is the source of your strength. He is the most important variable in every equation. Focus on Him. Depend on Him. Success isn't the goal, Jesus is. And Jesus isn’t merely a means to an end, He is the end. You are called to greater in all areas because of Him. Let your light shine.
Send this to a friend you see shining and encourage them to keep swimming even when the current feels strong. It’ll all be worth it.
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