Are You Willing to Stand, Even When It's Costly

For the past several months, I've had the privilege of working with an incredible author who is determined to put his faith first in his business.

Back in the 1980s, when he took over his parents' sawmill operation, he decided that in everything he did, he would acknowledge God and make his name known. This decision wasn't always popular, and it cost him at several pivotal moments along the way.

For example, when he was seeking funding from a bank, he shared how part of his business beliefs included tithing ten percent of everything his company made back to God. The bank thought this ludicrous, and one of the managers grew red in the face, urging him to stop and prompting my author friend to look for a new bank that shared his values.

My conversations with him have reminded me that the depth of our faith is directly tied to the boldness of our lifestyle.

Faith is most real when it costs us something. In certain parts of Western culture, having a bit of faith is a cultural necessity. Maybe you live in a "Bible Belt" area, and being part of a church community is a great way to build relationships with neighbors. It's even a mini status symbol.

If so, let me assure you that, for your faith to become real, you must at some point be willing to pay a cost for what you believe. This is a truth the prophet Daniel knew all too well, and it is why I've made his book the focus of this new series.

Take a Stand

The main theme of the Book of Daniel is God's sovereignty over human history and the ultimate triumph of his kingdom.

When Daniel was taken captive to Babylon as a young man in a foreign culture, he chose to honor God rather than conform to the expectations around him. And Daniel 1:8 says, "Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief eunuch not to defile himself."

In Daniel 4:27, Daniel stands before the mighty King Nebuchadnezzar and calls on him to turn from his sins. Daniel doesn't shrivel in the moment, and despite potentially disastrous consequences, he speaks the truth rather than what he knows the king wants to hear.

Then, in Daniel 6:10, we see how Daniel remains faithful again, even despite the threat of death. When a law is passed that forbids everyone from praying to anyone but the king, Daniel refuses to comply. This decision lands him in the lion's den.

Be Courageous 

One of the great challenges Daniel faced in his day was nationalistic idolatry. This is a challenge many Christians have faced throughout the centuries.

This past week, my family has been watching Tom Hanks' History Channel series on World War II. (It's great, by the way) And one of the sad realities not featured in this series was that, along with the rise of Nazism in Germany, came the apathy of the church. There was this unhealthy merging between being a good German and being a good Christian.

For example, German politician Herr Baldur von Schirach declared in 1936, “One cannot be a good German and at the same time deny God, but an arousal of faith in the eternal German is at the same time an arousal of faith in the eternal God. If we act as true Germans we act according to the laws of God. Whoever serves Adolf Hitler, the Führer, serves Germany, and whoever serves Germany serves God.”[1]

But whenever God's decrees do not align with human decrees, we are left with a choice—whether this be in a nation, a business, or a home.

As followers of Jesus, taking a stand doesn’t mean withdrawing from culture and becoming poor citizens of whichever nation we are in. Instead, it means following the example of Daniel and doing all we can to thrive while we’re in Babylon, without caving to Babylonian demands that would compromise our faith in God.

Standing for God when everyone else doesn’t isn’t easy. But in the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:28, “Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Are you struggling to take a stand today?

If so, take heart, and be courageous. Make the tough call, even if it costs you something.

[1] The Times [London], 29 July 1936; cf. Lang, 42–43